Posted on 07/09/2009 10:57:54 PM PDT by grandpa jones
The Gawker is reporting that reporters from “roughly 30 television networks, newspapers, magazines, and web sites celebrated the Fourth of July with Barack Obama at the White House…”
Nothing wrong with that. I mean, what reporter covering the White House beat wouldn’t like to go to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the 4th and watch fireworks, eat ribs, enjoy good beverages. And in the company of the President, no less. Wouldn’t that just be a hoot!
But, what if the invitation came with the following condition:
“You are being invited to attend this event as a guest. Blogging, Twittering or otherwise reporting on this event is not permitted. If you feel that you cannot agree to abide by these ground rules, please don’t claim a ticket.”
Am I the only one who sees this to be a conflict of interest? Unethical, even? Downright unseemly?
When I read the Gawker report, the first question that came to mind was, “I wonder if Fox was invited?” Followed closely by, “I wonder if they accepted the invitation?”
Given President Obama’s tendency to whine about being attacked by Fox News, and his Party’s hostility to Fox News, my sense is that Fox didn’t get an invitation.
But, given the conditions of the invitation, the questions must be asked, and Fox News, especially Major Garrett, owes an answer.
I expect this type of behavior out of the NBC’s and NYT’s of the media world. But not Fox.
So, what say you Fox News?
Toadies
How’s that Transparency thing working out for you?
To not gaze upon the King, especially when he is gazing upon the Ass of a 16 year old from Brazil.
Frankly, I don’t have any problem with the qualifier. There have to be times, i.e., Independence Day and Christmas parties, when reporters are off duty and the tenants at the White House free to enjoy themselves. If something major and newsworthy happened, that’s a different situation.
I had read elsewhere, here on FreeRepublic, that Fox News was NOT offered one of the tickets.
Good. I really didn;t want to find out that they were invited, or worse, they had accepted. It would have been like seeing another Republican governor caught with his pants down.
I guess I’m missing something. My first reaction was “So what?”
I just went back and read a previous thread, and it says, "something tells me Major Garrett was not on the guest list. "link Nothing definite, unless I missed it.
My first reaction was visceral.
Reaction to what?
“You are being invited to attend this event as a guest. Blogging, Twittering or otherwise reporting on this event is not permitted. If you feel that you cannot agree to abide by these ground rules, please don’t claim a ticket.”
I don’t blame them one bit. Nobody wants the world to see Obama having sex with a camel.
Having had some time to think about it, are you still of the same opinion?
I'm reacting to what seems to me to be manipulation by the WH, and willing assent to be manipulated by the press.
I expect some independence from the press. Confidentiality and concealment in times of National emergency, or to prevent revealing information that would put our military in danger is understandable. Concealment in the name of entertainment is not.
What report should have been filed the following day? I have reread the post a few times trying to find out what report you might be referring to.
The primary guests at the July 4 party at the White House were military members and their families, some 1200 people, many of whom are among the recently returned injured soldiers currently housed at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval. The guest list, as I understand it, was left up to the Pentagon and service branch leaders.
Do you really want to see an aggressive White House press corps there interviewing the guests? Aren’t those people, as well as the Obamas, entitled to some privacy on our premier national holiday?
This story is so much ado about absolutely nothing, it borders on pathetic.
I still don’t see what you’re upset about, or why you’re banging on Major Garrett. Some reporters were invited to a July 4th function, and were cautioned to to use it as a news event. So?
An aggressive WH press corps? What a concept! Yes, I would love to see an aggressive WH press corps.
As far as being "entitled to some privacy," I'm not sure what that would look like at an event attended by 1200 guests.
The Press has a job to do. When they decide not to, for whatever reason, then the people are "entitled" to full disclosure.
You call that pathetic, I call that a reasonable expectation of living up to the franchise afforded under the First amendment.
You are talking about a PARTY ... a CELEBRATION .. Fireworks, hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs and watermelon for crying out loud. You have gone around the bend, grandpa.
I’m done.
g’nite!
I wondered the same thing. Jake Tapper tweeted that he did not attend.
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