[Media-watch] Bush camp solicits race of newspaper photographer - Arizona Daily Star - 31/07/2004

[Julie-ann Davies]

Published 31 July 2004 

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/32301.php 

Bush camp solicits race of Star staffer 

By C.J. Karamargin 
ARIZONA DAILY STAR 
 
President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of 
an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President 
Dick Cheney.  

The Star refused to provide the information.  

Cheney is scheduled to appear at a rally this afternoon at the Pima 
County Fairgrounds.  

A rally organizer for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign asked Teri 
Hayt, the Star's managing editor, to disclose the journalist's race on 
Friday. After Hayt refused, the organizer called back and said the 
journalist probably would be allowed to photograph the vice president.  
"It was such an outrageous request, I was personally insulted," Hayt 
said later.  

Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the president's re-election campaign, 
said the information was needed for security purposes.  

"All the information requested of staff, volunteers and participants for 
the event has been done so to ensure the safety of all those involved, 
including the vice president of the United States," he said.  

Diaz repeated that answer when asked if it is the practice of the White 
House to ask for racial information or if the photographer, Mamta 
Popat, was singled out because of her name. He referred those 
questions to the U.S. Secret Service, which did not respond to a call 
from the Star Friday afternoon.  

Hayt declined to speculate on whether Popat was racially profiled, but 
said she is deeply concerned.  

"One has to wonder what they were going to do with that information," 
Hayt said. "Because she has Indian ancestry, were they going to deny 
her access? I don't know."  

Journalists covering the president or vice president must undergo a 
background check and are required to provide their name, date of birth 
and Social Security number. The Star provided that information 
Thursday for Popat and this reporter.  

"That's all anybody has been asked to provide," said Hayt, adding that 
this is the first time in her 26-year career that a journalist's race was 
made an issue.  

Organizer Christine Walton asked for Popat's race in telephone 
conversations with two other Star editors before she spoke to Hayt. 
They also refused to provide the information. Walton told Hayt that 
Popat's race was necessary to allow the Secret Service to distinguish 
her from someone else who might have the same name.  
"It was a very lame excuse," Hayt said.  

Popat, a photographer with six years' experience, was on assignment 
Friday and unaware of the controversy. But she said she was glad the 
Star refused. "My race shouldn't have anything to do with my job," she 
said.  

Tickets are required for the public to attend the rally, which begins at 
12:50 p.m. All tickets were distributed by Friday.  

Reporter C.J. Karamargin: 573-4243 or ckaramargin at azstarnet.com.