Talk to the flat screen: Reporters “cover” the POTUS (ap photo)
The Mighty Examiner had White House pool duty today, motorcading to the Newseum where President Obama participated in a town hall sponsored by CNBC. In that memorial (tomb?) to the First Amendment and a free press, reporters were blocked from covering the event and had to watch it on TV.
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From the pool report:
If you watched the CNBC town hall on TV, you saw as much as the pool — minus an uneventful motorcade.
The event was broadcast live from the Newseum — a monument if not to access then at least the concept of a free press. But nothing is free, as we heard from the POTUS on CNBC. Pool held in what appeared to be the ABC News “This Week” Newseum studio set-up, and watched the event on a flat-screen. It should be noted the White House allowed at least one of its own staff photographers into the town hall, but no access for news stills.
The first question the president got from the audience could have come from the pool: “Is this my new reality?”
Access to routine events continues to be an issue at the White House. Why should you care? Because all modern presidents try to keep the nosy, questioning, annoying White House press corps as far away as possible. Instead, they take their own pictures and video, and send out press releases.
This is not accountability. But much like the hedge fund manager who stood up to ask Obama why he keeps treating Wall Street like “a pinata,” it’s hard to muster up much sympathy for journalists. So they get away with it…
