CON FI DENTIALITY
Defense Dept. Guard Confiscates Film MARYLAND
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nocently enough.
Their day began in
Two University of
Maryland at College Park journalism students packed up their camera gear
and drove to the outskirts of town.
They were filming a segment for a Their subject was the university'S Science and Tech nology Center, currenlly under construc tion in Bowie. "It was just kind ofa fluff story, no big deal." according to their professor. Chet
campus news program.
Rhodes. The site was little more than a de serted field "mostly dirt" with an "old .
farmhouse," said Lorie Wimpee, a first year graduate student who was deliver ing standup. In the background stood the Superc omputing Research Center (SRC), which is run by the Institute for Defense Analysis and does work for the National Security Agency. Wimpee thought the SRC would make a good backdrop. "We shot for about 10 minutes." said Whimpee. As they were flllishing up, a
security guard appeared. "She said she had just talked to her supervisor and had to have the tape," Wimpee said. The guard told Wimpee ' s cameraman she w as [rom ' an agency of the Department of Defense. The cam eraman handed over the tape.
"1 started thinking, am 1
ever go ing to get this
back?"
Lorrie Whimpee
University of Maryland Journalism Student
'
Wimpee had ta1lced to the guard a wee.1c. earlier and asked about taping. The guard told hershe would need clear ance if she wanted to fLlm inside the
classroom activity in trespass andfreedom of the press. "
"r started thinking. am I ever going to get this back?," Wimpee said. Wi mpee asked the guard i f she could
guard ga ve in.
security gate, but it was all rig h t to ftlm from the sidewalk near the driveway, Wimpee said.
put her name on the tape. The guard refused. Wimpee asked for the guard's phone number. The guard told her she would have to call her supervisor. Wimpee asked for the supervisor's number. The guard said, " I can ' t tell
you. " "How can I call you? ," Wimpee asked. 32 SPLC Report
"It turned out to be an excellent
Chet Rhodes University of Maryland Journalism Professor
"Okay, I'll give you my number," the
Back on campus Wim pee told Rhodes ,
about the incident. "I was quite upset," Rhodes remem bers. He alerted the university's law yers, then placed a quick call to the SRC. Rhodes powers of persuasion seemed to work wonders. "They basically admitted they made a mistake and told us they would return the tape the next day," he said. "I said, ' well, how about [returning
the tape] today,'" said Rhodes. A few tense exchanges later. the SRC agreed to release the tape and Wimpee picked it up later that day.
"It turned out to be an excellent class room exercise in trespass and freedom
of the press," said Rhodes. Wimpee also feels she learned (rom
the ordeal. "I definitely would never give up my tape again," she said. "I just couldn't believe it, it was ridiculous.'" FOil 1990