Reporter working on story critical of VA has his equipment confiscated

[antimatter98]

From the story:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Reporter_working_on_story_critical_of_0410.html

"David Schultz, a reporter with a local NPR affliate, WAMU 88.5, was at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Washington, DC on Tuesday night, covering a townhall meeting on the quality of minority healthcare. In the middle of an interview with one of the veterans at the meeting on the below quality healthcare he was receiving at the hospital, Schultz was told by hospital officials to halt the interview and to turn over his recording equipment.

DC radio station WTOP reports that Gloria Hairston, an internal communications specialist with the VA, was the one to order a stop to the interview.

Hairston was joined by two other VA employees and four armed guards, who stood between Schultz and the exit, in ordering the 26-year-old reporter to hand over his equipment, which included a recorder, microphone and headphones."

My note from the story: the VA took his flash memory card with the audio interview on it, and has not returned the card. They
allowed him to keep his equipment. WAMU is a major station in DC and is also a major station in the NPR network, where The Diane Rehm show is produced each day on the network.

[barbtries]

1. how dare they

has he written a story or reported on what he learned there? i will check out the link.

[Aragorn]

2. VA?

Are you sure? Because it sounds more like the DEA...

Oh wait, either way a government agency censored free speech.

Why does our government hate Americans?

BTW if something truly false had been said the VA would surely have preserved the interview, not confiscated it.

[babylonsister]

3. VA agrees to return reporter's sound equipment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5431402

[smoogatz]

4. I hope Ms. Hairston will soon be joining the ranks of the unemployed.

I don't want any fascists working in MY government.