NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CNN filed suit in U.S. District Court in Houston late Friday to stop government efforts to exclude the media from covering the recovery of bodies from flood-ravaged New Orleans.

Officials said earlier Friday that recovery of the dead would go on without the presence of news crews, who had constantly covered the rescue efforts during the past two weeks. There were reports of other instances where reporters were barred from coverage in New Orleans.

CNN rejected the official reason, that TV images wouldn't respect the privacy of the dead. CNN said late Friday that it would try to stop "any agency from restricting its ability to fully and fairly cover this story," according to a memo to staffers from CNN chief Jim Walton obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "Government officials cannot be allowed to hinder the free flow of information to the public, and CNN will not let such a decision stand without challenge," Walton wrote.

CNN wouldn't comment further on the matter late Friday.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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