After facing intense criticism, the Coast Guard has lifted its policy that made it illegal for journalists and photographers to come within sixty-five feet of any response vessels or booms on the water or on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous news organizations had argued that being kept at least sixty-five feet away from the booms impeded their ability to cover the spill. Under the revised rules, credentialed journalists will have unfettered access, but members of the general public and uncredentialed media must still abide by the sixty-five-foot rule.