Media irresponsibility strikes again

Just a quick note:

As some of you might be aware, there was some "rioting" in the streets of Montreal after the NHL team beat their rival in the first round of the playoffs, and several police cars were torched, with several more all but destroyed. All of the TV stations around sent teams (some stations had several teams assigned) to cover the events and take images.

The SPVM (Montreal police) has been asking people--through the media--for their images of the rioting so they can identify the culprits and, hopefully, arrest them. Today, the SPVM showed up at the TV stations to ask, without a warrant, to obtain the images of the rioting so they could be used to identify the rioters. The TV stations refused.

So the SPVM showed up with a warrant and took the images "by force."

Why not just release them? A lot of the images were shown--in a loop on some stations--so anyone could have tivo'd live TV. It's broadcast! The only difference is, I assume, that the stations' copies are slightly higher-quality and aren't partially blocked by computer graphics.

Still, it makes no sense that when the cops showed up to ask, not demand, the tapes, the stations refused. It's not like they were guilty of any wrongdoing!

Ah well, everyone knows the media will go as far as possible to hamper and question the lawful activity of the authorities (police, military, etc) without illegality.