News Outlets Protest Fees Charged by Romney Campaign

Traditionally the media and campaigns have had a symbiotic relationship. You hang out, they get comfortable around you, maybe you get more insight into a campaign than someone else just parachuting in.
But lately it seems campaigns have their "go-to" interviewers who do parachute in and snag a televised interview while the "boys on the bus" pound sand.
Mostly, the daily people are there in case something "not in the script" happens. A gaffe, a departure from the stump speech due to events in the day, a change in tone...I think it does matter that they are there, if for no other reason than as President, a candidate will be subject to 24/7 scrutiny and we need to know how he or she can handle it.

 

The amount of money spent, the amount of campaigning, the amount of media coverage is waaaay over the top in the US.

You could cut it in half and be just fine. I really did not to need to read/hear a story on Mitt Romney every day for 14 months. Six weeks should be more than enough for someone to make up their mind.

 

I'm asking this because I honestly don't know. How do outlets covering a president handle something like the cost of a seat on Air Force One or the other hard costs associated with that beat? Are they billed by the White House or does CNN/CBS/USA Today just give them a credit card number like this situation?