lol?
Al Jazeera journalist not allowed to film at Texas high school football game
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More from the post:
"So you're from Al Jazeera," Mrs. Yauck says in a sharp tone, still looking down at my card. Looking up at me, she adds quickly, " So what's your spin on this story?"
"I don't have a spin," I say, still smiling to try to ease any sudden tension. "What I told you is exactly what I want to do. Just talk to people, film a bit. That is it. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"But you're with Al Jazeera?"
"Yes," I say proudly, still smiling.
But Mrs. Yauck is again staring down at my business card.
"Our superintendent is here, let me just go talk to him and I'll be right back."
According to Elizondo, the superintendent, Michael Lee, said, "I think it was damn rotten what they did."
"I am sorry, what who did?" I say, not sure exactly if he was calling me rotten, the terrorists rotten, Al Jazeera rotten, or all of the above.
"The people that did this to us," he says back to me with a smirk, still glaring uncomfortably straight at my eyes.
"Well, I think it was bad too," I say. "Well, do you think, sir, we can film a bit of the game and talk to some people here about just that?"
"No. You can't film, you can't take pictures, or interview people."
"OK, can I ask why? And if you allow me can I explain …"
Cut off.
"No, I just expect that you will respect it."
Elizondo says he respected the superintendent's wishes, and left.
I guess I could have snuck back in and secretly filmed with my Blackberry. I could have went back in with a camera rolling and confronted Mr Lee, which would have certainly got the classic shot of him putting his hand in front of the lens of the camera and likely provoked him to call the local sheriff. It would have turned into the largest scandal Booker had likely ever seen. But I quickly decide against it, not wanting to make a mockery of 9/11 just for a cheap TV confrontation trick. That was not my objective going in, and wouldn't be my objective now.
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