The People's Right to Know
Pentagon Censors Gov't Openness 'Right to Know' Videotape
The Pentagon censored some footage in public versions of a Humphrey Bogart-themed videotape that cost $70,500 to produce and was intended to teach government employees to respond to citizens' requests for information. Parts of the training video, "The People's Right to Know" were blacked out and replaced with the message, "copyrighted material removed for public viewing." Defense Department officials said they did so because they worried the government did not have legal rights to some historical footage that was included.
Citing the Freedom of Information Act, The Associated Press asked the Pentagon for a copy of the video nearly 18 months ago. The department released an edited version of the tape and acknowledged the irony of censoring a video promoting government openness. "We knew it would be embarrassing," said Suzanne Council of the Army Office of the Chief Attorney, which gave advice to censor the scenes because of copyright concerns.
The 22-minute video features a narrator in a trench coat who resembles Sam Spade, the detective played by Bogart in the 1941 classic "The Maltese Falcon."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2C812639
Source:
Aftermath News
Top Stories - September 4th, 2004
The Pentagon censored some footage in public versions of a Humphrey Bogart-themed videotape that cost $70,500 to produce and was intended to teach government employees to respond to citizens' requests for information. Parts of the training video, "The People's Right to Know" were blacked out and replaced with the message, "copyrighted material removed for public viewing." Defense Department officials said they did so because they worried the government did not have legal rights to some historical footage that was included.
Citing the Freedom of Information Act, The Associated Press asked the Pentagon for a copy of the video nearly 18 months ago. The department released an edited version of the tape and acknowledged the irony of censoring a video promoting government openness. "We knew it would be embarrassing," said Suzanne Council of the Army Office of the Chief Attorney, which gave advice to censor the scenes because of copyright concerns.
The 22-minute video features a narrator in a trench coat who resembles Sam Spade, the detective played by Bogart in the 1941 classic "The Maltese Falcon."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2C812639
Source:
Aftermath News
Top Stories - September 4th, 2004
Starmail - 4. Sep, 11:51
