Freezing out the Press
It is obvious for anyone who spends any time here that New Orleans has had minimal recovery, a significant crime problem, and a homeless catastrophe that was compounded by the demolition of the public housing projects earlier this year. NOLA bloggers report that Nagin's office has now refused to cooperate with WWL TV (Channel 4) because the station investigated his work schedule. This writer sees a pattern. We were frozen out of the Mayor's office in October 2007 because we wrote that we could not find anyone in the office after cooling our heels there for a day. Press credentials are the first thing writers obtain when in a new area. Plus, it is good to have access and contacts in the local press office. In a place like New Orleans, a current city street map is a godsend.
Told I did not need any credentials, my first stop at Police Headquarters resulted in the question, "Where are your credentials?" In fairness, this writer has got to say she likes the LRA press office because of the easy access they afford free-lancers. From the moment we dialed their number last November, LRA has answered every question, intelligent and ignorant, that we have fired at them. The press person at the helm now, Christina Stephens, is smart, efficient and patient, and it makes our job a whole lot easier. It is not easy to find facts in the Big Easy.
As far as credentialing in New Orleans for any event goes, hell, we didn't get any at Jazz (Shell) Fest either. You have to be "Big Media." Since Big Media has become a bit like Big Brother, perhaps it's safer to take our journalistic chances on the street and anywhere else one can get the skinny from local folks who really know what is going on. After being patted down by security at Jazz Fest because someone said I snuck in, I was able to produce my ticket after fumbling through the safari vest I usually wear in Africa. Several residents gathered 'round during the incident and remarked afterwards that "Now you know how we feel." Yes, I felt their pain. A friend remarked that it probably happened because I was dressed in African khaki, and this was Jazz Fest after all. What I needed was more colorful clothing.
Tell that to the flamboyant Mardi Gras Indians and the second line.
Veteran rock and roll music critic John Swenson described the street scene outside of Jazz Fest in this month's issue of OffBeat Magazine:
"As brass bands were playing for well-heeled tourists at Jazz Fest, a short distance away police were breaking up a jazz funeral under the Claiborne Avenue overpass, part of a funeral service for a local educator. This kind of banana republic disconnect is more than just an embarrassment to the Jazz Fest; it's a threat to the culture the festival is built on. The festival and its corporate backers really ought to register some very public opposition to what looks like deliberate harassment of the legitimate New Orleans cultural institution by the mayor's office and the police department. Otherwise, the only brass bands will be in a museum and the only Indians will be on a reservation."
And I was griping because I was not allowed to walk through the tony reserved section in front of the Acura Stage. New Orleans is tough.
The Times-Picayune reported that:
"there was mostly silence when more than a dozen political, community and business leaders were asked to assess Nagin at midterm. Most said they feared losing city financing, or Nagin's political support, for pet projects if they spoke with candor. Some said they simply had nothing nice to offer."
Breathe Deeply
Time to take a deep breath.
In fact, hizzhoner suggested his city do just that.
Take a deep breath. In a bizarre intonation that opened his State of the City Speech Nagin said:
"Now I want you to close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath and clear your minds. There is an incredible recovery taking place right in front of us and we need to step back and reflect. I'm going to take you on a river journey, and tell you about the strides we've made since we last met, and what I think our challenges are. I'll tell you about some exciting new initiatives-- funded initiatives-- that are in motion, and then spell out my vision, your vision for our future."
Watching the video of this segment you half expected him to take out a pocket watch and slowly swing it past the masses. The scene would have been complete with a snake charmer, a few scented candles and a New Age music track. This was the mayor's personal Voodoo Fest.
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