FEMA gets new public affairs head
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency has hired a new director of public affairs to replace the official who was in charge during a fake news conference in October.
Jonathan Thompson, most recently a deputy assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs, strategy and operations, will be FEMA’s new director of external affairs. The former director was Pat Philbin.
On Oct. 23, reporters were given 15 minutes’ notice for what turned out to be a staged question-and-answer briefing with FEMA’s deputy administrator about the California wildfires. No genuine journalists attended, although they were given a conference-call number they could use to listen in but not ask questions.
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