02/24/06

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Postal Service Wages War on Truth

A Washington, D.C.-based journalist for a German television network was detained by U.S. Postal Service Police for videotaping a New Orleans mail pick-up center for victims of Hurricane Katrina and was released only after surrendering the video he had recorded.

According to The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Bonn-based Deutsche Welle television reporter Stephan Bachenheimer was filming and interviewing people waiting in line to pick up their mail when a law enforcement officer asked him to leave.

Bachenheimer complied and moved to the edge of a parking lot to film through the fence. Two USPS police officers then approached and told him to quit filming, despite the fact that Bachenheimer presented foreign press credential issued by the U.S. Department of State.

One of the officers told Bachenheimer "at least two times that in the past, I would have gotten away with [filming] but not now with the 'war on terror,'" according to Bachenheimer's account of the incident.

The officers detained Bachenheimer until he surrendered his tape.

On the bright side, at least the USPS has the resources to mail the tape back.

3 Comments
Peter R. Snell said:

The really scary thing about this story about restriction of press freedom and potentially illegal actions by postal security, is that it got so little media attention. Other than the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, no one seems to be picking this up.
Stephan Bachenheimer is a respected and accredited reporter. That should have been very simple for security to ascertain.
The "war on terrorism" excuse is getting rather tired. In Canada (where I live), taking a reporter's film or videotape is illegal in most situations. If actions like this are not given higher profile, I suspect we'll continue to hear more and more such tales.
Peter R. Snell

March 4, 2006 6:16 PM
tioedong Author Profile Page said:

Given the fact that postal workers died in a terrorist attack three years ago, refusing to let someone film a mail facility seems correct. Someone could be casing the place for terrorism, or as a common thief figuring the best way to steal welfare and pension checks...(something that alas happens in cities, which is why my pension check is "direct bank deposit).

The USPostOffice is federal government, and bomb threats are not unknown. The correct procedure for filming in a Federal Building has to be followed...you have to have proper press credentials, and before you filmed you need to ask permission from the postmaster...
Is that so hard?

May 21, 2006 9:47 PM

According to the RCFP account, he was credentialed, but not expected. In the absence of a clear and present danger, concerns about terrorism don't give security personnel the excuse to trample basic liberties.

May 21, 2006 10:04 PM
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