Did everyone notice how the various media types that were in New Orleans after Katrina all screamed loudly about the supposedly slow federal response?
Some things to note:
CNN/FOX/MSNBC already had folks in New Orleans in place, they didn't have to get past downed trees, downed power lines, broken bridges etc to get there.
None of these folks understood that its one thing to stick a reporter, a cameraman, some water and MREs into an SUV and drive down to Orleans, and its another do acquire, load, and drive 1000 semi-trucks and 50,000 people over the same roads.
They really did figure that since they could get here then FEMA/US military/Red Cross/Salvation Army should have been able arrive just as quickly.
The media wasn't kept out of any of the states, or prevented from reporting on anything.
FEMA/US fed gov/Red Cross was being kept out and delayed by the local government (State).
Those reporters could hardly be blamed for having a strong emotional response to what they were seeing, but their venting skewed their reporting of the facts. Will they admit that now?