The Virginian-Pilot
©
SUFFOLK
A local television station filed a lawsuit today against the city for its restrictions against the media in areas hit by last week’s tornado.
Members of the media were restricted from entering the hardest hit neighborhoods, including Burnetts Mill and Hillpoint Farms, and gradually received more access as residents were allowed to return. Reporters, photographers and videographers were allowed into the neighborhoods for 45 minutes on Wednesday. On Thursday the police allowed them in for two hours.
Today, police began allowing the media open access to the neighborhoods except during curfew hours, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., in Hillpoint Farms, Burnetts Mill and Driver, said Lt. D.J. George.
The complaint by WTKR, filed in circuit court, asserts that city officials and the local and state police do not have the authority to limit media access in such a way. It contends that the restrictions keep necessary information from getting to the public and hampers the ability of charitable groups to identify needs and give help. WTKR also contends that its viewership may suffer if its news crews are not able to timely and fully report the news.
The station seeks an injunction ordering the city and police to cease and desist denying the station access to all relevant areas at any time. It also seeks compensatory damages of not less than $75,000 and punitive damages of not less than $30,000 from each defendant: the city, the city attorney and the local and state police.
City spokesman Dennis Craff said he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
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Told ya so
I called it. Our police and city officials did a wonderful job. The citizens expressed their thanks to all of them last night for a job WELL done both to keep them safe and to keep other citizens safe. I also might add that they were just fine with some of them not being able to get to their homes until the day after (Tuesday) and not the 3 days that WTKR stated last night on the news of them dropping the law suit. Sad that they don't even know the actual facts of when the residence were allowed to get to their homes. Again, Good Job Suffolk!
In the days to come
I'm sure in the days to come you will all see that they will withdrawl this lawsuit. Keep reading the paper and you will see it. WTKR knows that they are dead wrong. The citizens in this city are behind what has been done and continues to be done for the safety of the citizens and their belongings. The neighborhoods effected are now open so take a drive through them and you will see the banners and yard signs made by the victoms thanking the police, fire, and rescue for their work and concern for their safety over the past week and a half! Remember, you can come to Suffolk this weekend to help clean up the neighborhoods and get these people back on their feet. GOOD JOB SUFFOLK!!!!
It's happened before...
"...What if the media just sat back and waited on the government to tell us everything was okay in New Orleans after Katrina hit? All you would have known was what a 'nice job' FEMA did and how everything was okay. I'm not saying Suffolk emergency workers were up to no good behind the scenes, but they definitely should not control whether or not the media has access to it"
______
September 2005
CNN Wins Injunction
CNN won an injunction late Friday to prevent any federal agency from limiting the cable news network's ability to cover any aspect of the Hurricane Katrina story. CNN asked for an injunction to remove the "zero-access" policy imposed by FEMA...
Access denied
Whether or not WTKR has a valid complaint doesn't matter. It's the timing of the lawsuit. This is something that could have waited until Suffolk recovered. We are all in shock over this tornado. For God's Sake WTKR. Let these people get themselves together!
Response to Henry
As I said before Henry you really do not have a clue as to what you are talking about on here. Doesn't matter what experience you may have at that point you could not enter. Parents were able to get to their children via police escort (because of the dangers). People were able to get in via police escort if the needed to get meds and they could even get to their houses. Roads were covered with HOUSES and PIECES of HOUSES, POWER LINES, and so on. Alot had to take place before everyone could enter these neighborhoods. As someone who assists FEMA as you stated you should know very well how it all goes. The people who live in suffolk and these neighborhoods have been behind what the city and the police dept. have done for them even the day of. So no Henry you very well do not know what you are talking about. Find out the facts before you start to bash the people in our city who are working around the clock to do what is right to keep our people safe. Theres alot that was done to help these people that you are not aware of. There is a clean up scheduled for this weekend. You should come out to participate.
Suffolk Police
I guess the people who work in the media field don't get it, they want to report their way even if it's the wrong way. They don't they blame the city of suffolk who gaves orders to the police department. The police department only did what the city officials who have control over them as in any city would have. The police department were told to who to let in and who not to let in which included the media who for some unknown reason feels they are special. The media could do the same reporting without showing the damage homes at that point until it was clear. Each channel wanted that big scoop and 3 fell short of that big scoop, they didn't have a chopper to film from the air to get that view of the damage. Reporting the news? getting the word out? Everyone knew what happen they didn't need to see the damage. Seems WTKR lost out on the ratings again and this time it's the suffolk police fault. The police or city didn't prevent the media from doing their job, they just kept them from sticking a mike in front of one of the home owner's face and asking stupid questions. Good work to all of the Police, fire and rescue folks who spend many hours. Not too many people are supporting WTKR
Giving away the freedom of the press
Again, you should not put the power of the press in the hands of the government. Regardless of how honorable and how great they are, the Suffolk emergency workers should not control the media. How do you know that all the information that was needed for the public was getting out? No one was inside these blocked areas to see if that was true. As for protecting the media, let them get electrocuted by downed lines. They know the dangers of going in and its their responsibility to protect themselves.
How come none of you were complaining about the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina? Why was the media allowed to go into the flooded areas? They could drown and cause more problems for police and fire. Let the police and fire departments do their job without the intrusion of the media knocking on people's doors hoping to catch some crying person.
Luckily you WTKR haters weren't in charge or more people would have died because no help would have come. The media shed light on the bad job the government was doing and saved lives. Luckily that didn't happen in Suffolk, because the media did not have the access it should have and could not do the job its supposed to do in a FREE
I Think Most of Us Are With You Henry
Henry...With the exception of a few saying residents should have been kept out for safety reasons, most of the people in support of the restrictions are commenting in reference to the MEDIA restrictions. As I wrote in an earlier comment, I'm all for residents arguing that they should have been in earlier and WTKR should be backing THAT angle rather than their self-serving complaint about media restrictions. Again, the media was not prevented from obtaining and reporting the necessary facts of what happened; I think they are just upset that they didn't get to have cameras pointing in the face of suffering residents or get to ask obnoxious, insensitive questions.
BTW
Who even watches WTKR? I never do!
Other TV Stations Guilty of Errors
Agree, but I have found their personnel to be much more receptive to critical comments and admit when they are wrong. WTKR personnel do not do this, in my experience.