<P> Funding battles continue over the remaining levee improvements . In February 2008, the Bush administration requested that the state of Louisiana pay about $1.5 billion of an estimated $7.2 billion for Corps of Engineers levee work (in accordance with the principles of local cost sharing required by Congress as early as the Flood Control Act of 1928), a proposal which angered many Louisiana leaders . On May 2, 2008, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal used a speech to The National Press Club to request that President Bush free up money to complete work on Louisiana's levees . Bush promised to include the levee funding in his 2009 budget, but rejected the idea of including the funding in a war bill, which would pass sooner . </P> <P> Many representatives of the news media reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina became directly involved in the unfolding events, instead of simply reporting . Because of the loss of most means of communication, such as land - based and cellular telephone systems, field reporters in many cases became conduits for information between victims and authorities . The authorities, who monitored local and network news broadcasts, as well as internet sites, would then attempt to coordinate rescue efforts based on the reports . One illustration was when Geraldo Rivera of Fox News tearfully pleaded for authorities to either send help or evacuate the thousands of evacuees stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center . The role of AM radio was also of importance to the hundreds of thousands of persons with no other ties to news, providing emergency information regarding access to assistance for hurricane victims . Immediately after Katrina, WWL - AM was one of the few area radio stations in the area remaining on the air . This emergency service, simulcasted on shortwave outlet WHRI, was named "The United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans ." Their ongoing nighttime broadcasts continued to be available up to 500 mi (800 km) away . Announcers continued to broadcast from improvised studio facilities after the storm damaged their main studios . The cellular phone antenna network was severely damaged and completely inoperable for several months . </P> <P> The storm also brought a dramatic rise in the role of Internet sites--especially blogging and community journalism . One example was the effort of NOLA.com, the web affiliate of New Orleans' Times - Picayune . A group of reporters were awarded the Breaking News Pulitzer Prize, and shared the Public Service Pulitzer with the Biloxi - based Sun Herald . The newspaper's coverage was carried for days only on NOLA's blogs, as the newspaper lost its presses and evacuated its building as water rose around it on August 30 . The site became an international focal point for news by local media, and also became a vital link for rescue operations and later for reuniting scattered residents, as it accepted and posted thousands of individual pleas for rescue on its blogs and forums . NOLA was monitored constantly by an array of rescue teams--from individuals to the Coast Guard--which used information in rescue efforts . Much of this information was relayed from trapped victims via the SMS functions of their cell phones, to friends and relatives outside the area, who then relayed the information back to NOLA.com . The aggregation of community journalism, user photos and the use of the internet site as a collaborative response to the storm attracted international attention, and was called a watershed moment in journalism . In the wake of these online - only efforts, the Pulitzer Committee for the first time opened all its categories to online entries . </P> <P> As the U.S. military and rescue services regained control over the city, there were restrictions on the activity of the media . On September 9, the military leader of the relief effort announced that reporters would have "zero access" to efforts to recover bodies in New Orleans . Immediately following this announcement, CNN filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order against the ban . The next day the government backed down and reversed the ban . </P>

Hurrican katrina made landfall at baton rouge north of new orleans