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White House Press Corps Exposed
Carolina Journal. ^ | February 16, 2006 | Jon Ham

Posted on 02/16/2006 8:42:25 AM PST by george76

Sitting in armchairs waiting for handouts not the best way to get scoops

Members of the elite White House press corps this week have acted more like animals that have been kept in captivity for so long that they can’t find news unless it is forced down their open gullets at a daily press briefing.

The Cheney hunting accident story embarrassingly revealed this fact, which probably explains the greater-than-normal anger and outrage of White House correspondents over the last few days.

“Why weren’t we told?” has been the refrain, not “How did we miss that story?”

The White House press corps does very little news gathering, if by that we mean beating the bushes to find out things.

Instead, they sit in a comfortable auditorium and wait to be told things.

One White House correspondent rarely scoops the others, evidently because the correspondents would rather have the security of getting news handed to them collectively than face the prospect of missing a big story.

Why any self-respecting reporter would want to cover the White House.

Everything was orchestrated.

Nothing was spontaneous.

There was a gentleman’s agreement to make sure no one missed out on a news break, even to the point that, at the end of the day, a light would go on in the press room to alert reporters that they could leave with the confidence that no news would emanate in their absence.

Under that system there was no reward for initiative and no penalty for sloth.

Even if big news were to break while reporters were gone, it was understood that either a) it would be held until they all came into the press room, or b) all would be phoned and notified at the same time.

(Excerpt) Read more at carolinajournal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; beating; beatingthebushes; bestway; bush; bush43; cartoon; cheney; coverage; crybabies; elite; entitlementpress; firedavidgregory; foundation; g76; gullets; harrywhittington; isgregoryfiredyet; johnlocke; opengullets; presscorps; quailgate; raleigh; rude; rudechildren; sanctimonious; scoops; sittinginarmchairs; slug; slugs; thebushes; togetscoops; waitingforhandouts; whenwilltheyfiredave; whitehouse; whitehousepress
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To: Pablo64

The slugs hope that he does die.


21 posted on 02/16/2006 9:09:03 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

When the White House press corps begins to behave like professional journalists rather partisan political hacks who live only to serve the DNC, they will have the respect of both political parties. Until then, they desreve nothing less than isolation and distrust from the presidency they're so eager, almost to the point of desperation, to destroy.


22 posted on 02/16/2006 9:10:47 AM PST by Spok (Est omnis de civilitate.)
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To: RexBeach

The slugs are awful.

Even a two year old has better manners.

They think that they are soooo important. Only to themselves.

I like the idea of releasing all future breaking news to small newspapers, first.


23 posted on 02/16/2006 9:12:02 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

I agree with you. You can hear the hopefulness of his demise in their whiney little voices.


24 posted on 02/16/2006 9:13:49 AM PST by Pablo64 ("Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion.")
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To: george76
Mara Liason, of all people, said she had a friend who had worked in a psych ward as well as the White House press room, and that their were many similarities.

The daily White House press briefing is an idea whose time has come and gone.
25 posted on 02/16/2006 9:19:20 AM PST by Semi Civil Servant (The Main Stream Media: Al-Qaeda's most effective spy network.)
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To: george76
"Instead, they sit in a comfortable auditorium and wait to be told things. "

Or leaked things...

26 posted on 02/16/2006 9:24:53 AM PST by MizSterious (Anonymous sources often means "the voices in my head told me.")
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To: george76
“Why weren’t we told?” has been the refrain, not “How did we miss that story?”

B I N G O ! The crux of the issue.

27 posted on 02/16/2006 9:27:11 AM PST by pollyannaish
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To: OrioleFan

LOL--I agree, that would be great!


28 posted on 02/16/2006 9:27:40 AM PST by MizSterious (Anonymous sources often means "the voices in my head told me.")
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To: george76

I do not invite these vermin (or their employers) into my home. It's not news if you already know what they're going to say.


29 posted on 02/16/2006 9:27:50 AM PST by auboy (The press practices free screech. And they're really good at it.)
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To: george76

The media's complaint that a mere "private citizen" reported the story is teh one that gets me. Since when were private citizens dirt? And they didn't expect Cheney to personally call the story in, they are complaining he didn't have a pr person do it. How does taht make any sense?


30 posted on 02/16/2006 9:28:08 AM PST by Williams
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To: TexasCajun

David pinhead horseface Gregory needs to take a trio to the Orient.


31 posted on 02/16/2006 9:29:15 AM PST by JFC (W, I am with YA)
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To: OrioleFan

I was laughing while thinking about this. He said he would go the the Topeka Eagle to release his news if he were President...LOL.


32 posted on 02/16/2006 9:30:52 AM PST by JerseyDvl ("Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"-Samuel Johnson to the Dems of today.)
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To: george76

I used to think it must be very difficult being a member of the MSM. It can't be easy to report illusions of reality on a daily basis, and refer to it as *truth*. Then I realized the problem. They are reporting the truth, as perceived through their altered whowhatwherewhenhowwhy world. That's why they can do it day after day, with no guilt or remorse. They are simply reporting what truth is through the looking glass. Rules don't apply to them. Laws don't apply. Integrity nor honor. Those are reserved for THIS side of the glass.


33 posted on 02/16/2006 9:31:50 AM PST by small voice in the wilderness (Democrats: Striving daily to wrong the rights that have been done.)
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To: RexBeach

Sounds like you had some very interesting personal experiences. Thanks for sharing. Did they all hate Reagan as much as it seemed?


34 posted on 02/16/2006 9:33:31 AM PST by Zack Nguyen
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To: george76

Must be winter there!


35 posted on 02/16/2006 9:33:51 AM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: george76

Listening to the huge whine coming out of the MSM yesterday, I had the distinct impression that if wounded, one should call the MSM first, and then the medics. I think the MSM is shooting itself in the foot on this one--most of the country looks at these supposed adults throwing child-like hissy-fits and tantrums, and are disgusted with their behavior. For awhile there, I was afraid Gregory was going to hold his breath until he turned blue!


36 posted on 02/16/2006 9:34:36 AM PST by MizSterious (Anonymous sources often means "the voices in my head told me.")
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To: small voice in the wilderness

They do very little, if any, original work.

They wait to be spoon fed.


37 posted on 02/16/2006 9:35:59 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: MizSterious

Gregory should do us all a favor.

He should "hold his breath until..."


38 posted on 02/16/2006 9:38:34 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Semi Civil Servant

For those who like Mara, and I can tolerate her, she is ALWAYS using the DNC talking points. We get Brit at 3 out here on the left coast and usually when Mara starts her comments I have already heard much of what she says from other newsreaders. You know, the 'anchors' are referred to as 'newsreaders' in Britain. That is really all they do.


39 posted on 02/16/2006 9:39:09 AM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: Zack Nguyen

The press hated President Reagan's with great zeal. They saw him, and this a quote from Tom Hayden(I interviewed him in a car as it drove around the Russell Senate Office Building), as the killer of the New Deal.

I never encountered one person at a WH press briefing, or at an event outside on the south lawn, such as the return of the American hostages from Iran, nor a formal press conference in the East Room, who didn't think that Reagan was an old man who got along on his quaint stories and personality. They loathed him.

BTW, one of the most dangerous places in Washington, D.C. is between a TV camera and Connie Chung. Wow!


40 posted on 02/16/2006 9:44:44 AM PST by RexBeach ("There is no substitute for victory." -Douglas MacArthur)
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