How White House Reporters Can Reclaim Their Beat

The National Journal ^ | 7/24/2014 | Ron Fournier

[Beave Meister]

Paul Farhi of The Washington Post writes today about a trend at the White House—and throughout journalism—that threatens the quality and credibility of news-gathering: Public-relations "minders" are injecting themselves into our interviews with politicians, CEOs, and other policymakers.

Minder madness joins the surge of "background briefings" and the decline of access to decision-makers as evidence that the White House—and other big instititutions—are manipulating the press. It's that, but it's also something worse: It's evidence that journalists are ceding control when they should be seizing it, accepting canned news rather than breaking it.

Farhi writes, "Almost every officially sanctioned exchange between reporters and the proverbial 'senior administration officials' is conducted in the presence of a press staffer, even when the interview is 'on background,' meaning the source will not be identified by name."

[Beave Meister]

The MOST TRANSPARENT Administration EVAAAAAARRRRR. If it worked for the KGB why can't it work for Democrats?

[skinkinthegrass]

The Soviets, were more honest.
They let you know who's in control.

[Resettozero]

How White House Reporters Can Reclaim Their Beat

From what I see, they cannot. They do not have "the right stuff" or matters would not be the way they are. They have been taught poorly in college and poorly in life.

Perhaps some old reporters might come out of the woodwork and help but that's doubtful; too angry at what's happened to journalism and skillful interviewing.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

From the W-P article mentioned in the posted article: "Sometimes, the press monitor interjects to clarify a point the official makes . . . One White House reporter notes with irritation that minders have sometimes cut off contentious questioning or otherwise interrupted the flow of conversation."

I remember the 1960s.

Headline?

flip the script; minders, flacks now the government.
Obama Administration Reverses Mau-mauing!
Flack catchers now everyone outside of government

Washington, D.C. In the old days anti-government Marxist-Alinsky campus radical, psycho spoiled brat demonstrators mau-maued government officials. Now those aged punks and their ideological litters are the government and their tactics are used to harass the citizens . . . .

[Resettozero]

Washington, D.C. In the old days anti-government Marxist-Alinsky campus radical, psycho spoiled brat demonstrators mau-maued government officials. Now those aged punks and their ideological litters are the government and their tactics are used to harass the citizens . . .

You've noticed too.

[Bullish]

Hey reporters.... Look what your faux ‘journalism’ has wrought. A regime that treats you like the lackey turds you’ve become.

You so richly deserve it.

[SMARTY]

“Public-relations “minders” are injecting themselves into our interviews with politicians, CEOs, and other policymakers.”

Ooooooooooooohhhh!!!

So THAT'S what's been behind the past many decades of criminally biased and Liberal reporting these ‘journalists’ have foisted on us!

Well... NOW I see how they were so handicapped by these restrictions that they couldn't do their jobs!

[timestax]

bttt

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