Ok, not so much a study but a fairly trivial illustration that I hope sparks discussion.
There is a lot of outrage lately over a perceived notion that the press is being unfairly targeted by the Coast Guard's BP's recent announcement of the establishment of safety zones around sensitive areas such as booms, skimmer operation zones, and the spill site.
I'm skeptical that the press has been targeted. Many of the people visiting, or attempting to visit, those sites are spectators, not legitimate reporters of any stripe.
I count uncredentialed documentarians among the legitimate media representatives, by the way, they are a vital component of information collection and dissemination.
Access by tourists and the simply curious needs to be limited, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
But that is only a part of the focus of this diary, just a foundation on which my opinions are built.
That the press has been unfairly and probably illegally denied access is well documented.
When that story surfaced, Thad Allen BP was quick to announce that the press is welcome and that there is no restriction on BP employees or volunteers about speaking with the media.
Since the announcement that safety zones were established, the media has been trumpeting that it is being specifically targeted.
That announcement is quite recent, so I can't say (yet) that access by anyone with a legitimate interest who has requested it has been turned down.
So far, I haven't seen any reports of that happening.
What I have seen are reports supporting their position by referring to instances weeks or months ago where media representatives indeed were denied access.
Yes, it happened. Does this most recent announcement specifically target them? No, not in my opinion.
The safety zones are designed to protect booms that are precariously anchored, to prevent dangerous overcrowding of the areas being skimmed, and to protect the safety of the recovery vessels and support vessels. That reporters are caught up in that restriction is reasonable; it applies to everyone, and there do appear to be methods for the media to be able to get access.
If that turns out to be false (that is, if any legitimate request for access is denied subsequent to the press release), then our vehement outrage is justified.
Until then, I reluctantly have to give them the benefit of doubt and advise a reserved skepticism about the inflammatory reports.
All of the entities involved in organizing cleanup efforts have made some fundamental errors.
Putting BP in charge of the cleanup and volunteer efforts was the first of these mistakes. They have a clear conflict of interest. They have liability for the cleanup workers' health and safety risks, they have a vested interest in minimizing the public perception of the extent of the damage, and they want to control their fiscal liability.
They have made the volunteer application process needlessly complex.
I've run into the roadblocks myself, attempting to volunteer.
The goalposts are in constant motion and I've given up trying to schedule travel, lodging, training, and all of the other hoop-jumps and am now simply making donations where I think they may be most effective. I've also adopted some of the many outstanding suggestions in Pam LaPier's commendable Gulf Coast How To Help diary.
I don't know if it is just American apathy or a tragic side effect of the treatment of volunteers, but here is an admittedly shallow comparison that illustrates a fundamental difference in our approach to cleanup efforts by ourselves and by the South Koreans in response to the Hebei Spirit spill.
The contrast is stark, but doesn't give proper credit to those who are volunteering and providing support to the cleanup efforts.
I use the examples to ask why we aren't allowed to take up our own organizing efforts and "grab a shovel".
I do understand the need to protect ecologically sensitive areas - the marshlands in particular - and I do understand the need to keep unnecessary maritime travel away from cleanup and recovery vessels.
None of that precludes putting on a pair of boots and gloves and grabbing a bucket to help clean up the beaches.
Put receptacles on the beach for volunteers to deposit soiled rags and tarballs.
Encourage community volunteer efforts instead of hampering them.
It is only with our help that the Gulf will regain much of its glory and allow the Earth to heal.