WHCA Complains: Press Shut Out at White House

YankeeFan · Feb 2, 2011

Can't understand why they didn't allow the press to cover the START signing.

After being shut out of the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) is appealing to the White House to give the press corps access to an event that’s been called one of the President’s most important foreign policy priorities for almost a year – the signing of the START Treaty. In a letter to Press Sec. Robert Gibbs, the WHCA Board complained about their lack of access to the President throughout the crisis in Egypt and outlined their request to open today’s treaty signing to the White House pool.

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/whca-complains-about-white-house-shut-out_b30317
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QUESTION: "Finally, we have not had a chance to ask President Obama any questions since this crisis began. There have been at least a couple of occasions that could have been open to the press that weren't. Can you explain why we haven't been able to talk to him?"

ROBERT GIBBS, WH: "Ben, I think you will get a chance likely to talk to the president later in the week when [Canadian] Prime Minister Harper is here. We have had a couple of occasions that have been still photographers only. Those were part of the coverage plans that had been in place for a bit now in terms of those events. I will say this, Ben. I think we have, like you all, watched a series of rapidly-moving events -- you've heard from the president in what's happened in Egypt. We will continue to keep you up-to-date as best as we can on what goes on, knowing quite honestly that some things in foreign policy have to be done away from TV cameras. Those are the types of direct and frank talks that the president had last night with President Mubarak."

http://realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/02/02/gibbs_some_things_have_to_be_done_away_from_television_cameras.html
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MileHigh · Feb 2, 2011

Walking an extreme tightrope while threading the smallest needle possible.

slappy4428 · Feb 2, 2011

MileHigh said:

Walking an extreme tightrope while threading the smallest needle possible.
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Perhaps a camel through the eye of a needle?

YankeeFan · Feb 3, 2011

Chris Isham, CBS News’s Washington bureau chief

Dear Robert,

On behalf of the five network TV pool, we strongly protest the decision to prevent our reporters and video cameras from covering the signing of START at the White House this morning.

Before the vote passed the Senate President Obama called the treaty “a national security imperative for the United States.” Assuming that remains true, it seems unreasonable to ban television journalists from such a significant event.

We also must protest the exclusion of TV journalists from yesterday’s cabinet meeting, which was designated a “stills only” event. Needless to say, this is a disturbing pattern, which not only prevents us from covering the event but also restricts our ability to ask the president about important news of the day, such as the situation in Egypt.

And while we applaud the administration statement this morning supporting our colleagues under attack in Cairo, there seems to be some irony in the fact that reporters in the White House are being kept at a distance from the president. To our knowledge President Obama has yet to answer one question from the White House press corps about the crises in Egypt.

In sum, on behalf of the members of the White House TV pool, we respectfully request that you discontinue the practice of designating “stills only” events and permit our reporters and crews to cover the president.
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SF_Express · Feb 3, 2011

I swear, my flash reaction was why the Western Collegiate Hockey Association was concerned about press access a the White House.

Carry on.

Roland of Gilead · Feb 3, 2011

SF_Express said:

I swear, my flash reaction was why the Western Collegiate Hockey Association was concerned about press access a the White House.

Carry on.
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Glad I wasn't the only one.

KJIM · Feb 3, 2011

I thought the same thing, too.

HanSenSE · Feb 3, 2011

Make it four!

zebracoy · Feb 3, 2011

And another...

terrier · Feb 3, 2011

Unfair. What makes Hockey East so special?

bigbadeagle · Feb 3, 2011

Have a friend who has done a lot of photo work for White House events over the last few years. He said from the start of the Obama administration, his friends in the press room there have said how different it was from the Bush era. And not in a good way. He said his friends were telling him that in the Bush days, you'd get nothing in information but at least it was done politely.

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WHCA Complains: Press Shut Out at White House

YankeeFan Well-Known Member

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WHCA Complains: Press Shut Out at White House

YankeeFan Well-Known Member

MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

slappy4428 Active Member

YankeeFan Well-Known Member

SF_Express Active Member

Roland of Gilead Member

KJIM Well-Known Member

HanSenSE Well-Known Member

zebracoy Guest

terrier Well-Known Member

bigbadeagle Member

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