Government reviews policy for dealing with the media p. 13

By: Debra Gersh Hernandez

Federal agencies examining their handling
of media relations in connection
with tactical response situations sp.

AFTER THE FAILED raid by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, in February, the Treasury and Justice departments are examining their tactical responses to such incidents. Included in the reviews are their media policies.
At the ATF, which falls under the Treasury Department, crisis management training is being expanded and refined, acting ATF director John W. Magaw said.
Magaw recently told members of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government, "As a component of this, we are examining the media relations crisis planning of major public and private organizations."
After the subcommittee's hearing, Ronald K. Noble, assistant secretary (enforcement) at Treasury, who also testified, said the media review was planned but had not begun.
The Treasury's review of the ATF investigation and raid on the Branch Davidians concluded, in part, "Specific recommendations will be provided separately to ATF's leadership in such areas as . . . clarifying the rules regarding media contacts."
The Justice Department also concluded a lengthy review of its participation in the standoff near Waco. After the ATF raid failed, the FBI's negotiators and hostage rescue team were called in.
The Justice Department has released four reports on the FBI's role. One contained an account of the FBI's involvement; one assessed its handling of the confrontation; another included recommendations for dealing with future operations from nine independent experts, and the fourth proposed changes to improve handling of such situations.
Among the recommendations in his report, "Lessons of Waco: Proposed Changes in Federal Law Enforcement," Deputy Attorney General Philip B. Heymann suggested that all law enforcement agencies follow the FBI's policy of not having media accompany agents during raids and not giving advance notice of such operations to the media.
"There may be rare circumstances in which a member of the media learns about a planned raid through independent sources and the appropriate law enforcement official determines that it is necessary to give that person unusual access in return for his or her promise not to reveal any information to the targets of the raid," Heymann's report noted. "However, for the safety of law enforcement personnel, innocent persons at the site, the targets and members of the news media themselves, no member of the news media should accompany agents conducting a raid without approval at the highest levels, which should be given only in exceptional circumstances," the assistant attorney general reported.