FEMA Admits It Held Fake Press Conference About California Wild Fires; FEMA Staffers Posed As Journalists

The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA had staged a fake press conference Tuesday with agency staffers posing as news reporters. Their acknowledgement as well as an apology from FEMA officials followed a Washington Post report that exposed the staged event. FEMA had only given reporters 15 minutes notice for Tuesday's press conference. A toll-free telephone line allowed reporters to listen to the proceedings, but not to pose any questions.

This is an excerpt of the faux press conference where FEMA staff asked their boss Harvey Johnson, the FEMA Deputy Administrator, scripted and friendly questions.

• FEMA "Press Conference"

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff sharply rebuked FEMA on Saturday and called the staged news briefing "one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen." White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino also addressed questions about this at her news briefing on Friday.

• White House press briefing

Diane Farsetta is a senior researcher at the Center for Media and Democracy. She coordinates the center's "No Fake News" campaign. She joins me now on the phone from Madison, Wisconsin.

• Diane Farsetta, senior researcher at the Madison, Wisconsin-based Center for Media and Democracy. She coordinates the center's "No Fake News" campaign.

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