Managing the vicsim scam

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[simonshack]

A Bloomberg Business Week article from October 30, 2001 :
Joined in Sadness at Ground Zero
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnf ... 0_7153.htm

A memorial concert was held on October 28, 2001 - allegedly attended by thousands of grieving family members ("Swamped with far more family members than the 5,000-seat site could accommodate").World famous stars like tenor Andrea Bocelli, soprano Renee Fleming, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber were on hand to perform. As always, "attendees silently held up images of the people who perished". Yet, one paragraph of this article is particularly interesting - now that we know the attending "family members" were nothing but actors...

At times, the deference made for a somewhat charged atmosphere. Journalists were initally forbidden from speaking with anyone, except those who approached the press booth. Then, those conversations were banned as well. "I don't care if the Pope himself comes up and wants to talk to you," warns organizer Michael Dave Waters. "Any talking, and you're out," which is exactly what happened to a cameraman who was escorted away by police.

Wot the heck? A gag order placed on journalists impeding them to exercise their very profession? The funny thing is that, if I had bumped into that article back in October 2001 I would have asked myself the same question, scratching my head bald! Of course, the reason for this iron curtain raised between journalists & 'family members' should now be clear to anyone.