After all, it is a HOMELAND security matter
New Orleans, LA (AHN) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency, leader of post-Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts, announces it does not want news media to photograph fatalities as more and more bodies are recovered from New Orleans' receding waters.
The agency has rejected requests from journalists wanting to accompany rescue boats searching for storm victims, Reuters reports.
A spokeswoman says space was needed on the rescue boats and that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."
FEMA states, "We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media."
The White House is receiving widespread criticism for its handling of the relief effort. Several officials claim response has been slow and bureaucratic, resulting in the current devastating conditions in those areas hit by Katrina on Aug. 29.