On Monday, the White House held an "off-the-record" briefing with representatives of various news outlets. In light of their jihad against FOX News, it's interesting to see who the administrations considers to be "genuine journalists"...
Via TVNewswer:
The White House has sent TVNewser the complete list of those who attended the off-the-record briefing Monday: Eugene Robinson, E.J. Dionne, Ron Brownstein, John Dickerson, Rachel Maddow, Frank Rich, Jerry Seib, Maureen Dowd, Keith Olbermann, Bob Herbert, Gloria Borger, and Gwen Ifill.
A can of stale left-wing nuts, to be sure, although I was amused to see Gwen Ifill's name there. The "moderator" of one of the Obama/McCain debates, no one believed her claim to impartiality back then, and no one will ever believe it in the future. Funny too to see that the administration considers liberal op-ed scribblers and talking heads to be the true vanguard of "journalism" and "news" in America.
What's obvious is that Obama is giving privileged information to his most strident supporters, information that you too can receive! if you hew to the administration's policy line....
Two thoughts here:
-is acquiesces to Obama worth the price to the aspiring media star? Sure, you'll get good insider access and an occasional scoop, but in news, your name is a brand, and if you were to sully that brand with, say, writing glowing columns about bad policies in order to improve your personal standing, you might wind up with a reputation that makes your product rather unsellable. On the same note, is it worth it to tie yourself to the sinking ship that is the Obama presidency? This guy is crashing and burning, but the folks at the above briefing are so deep in the tank they can't hear the eruptions or feel the ground shake. What sound-thinking journalist with his head still above water would dive into the drink at this point?
-Isn't the administration preaching to the converted here already? There's nary even a left-of-center journalist in the group above; what makes Obama think he can make himself more palatable to mainstream America when he working with media folk who exclusively sing to the choir anyway, and have little or no influence - save as Fisking fodder - with the center? Furthermore, does the president realize he is kissing the asses of the op-ed writers for two of the nation's most visible example of the failure of the print business, and with the spittle-spewing sisters (yeah, that's you, Keith) of the lowest-ranked cable news network? And if he's telling them not to follow up on FOX reporting, well...isn't that a moot point with this motley crew?
More circular thinking by the White House, as the only noise they hear is what's generated within their echo chamber. And a useless strategy as well. He's building up his own personal Maginot Line, while the forces of truth and real transparency are simply moving their troops around it, and leaving his pathetic defense alone, naked, and useless.....
1 comment:
Sounds like an 'opinion piece summit'.
Why no one hasn't come out and wondered whether this meeting was to hand out the topics for this Sundays op/ed's is beyond me.
Imagine if Bush did that?
OK, I can see the SNL piece now (if the tables were turned and they were not in the tank for Obama)
Gibbs calls a time out in the press briefing room. All the NYT,NBC,CBS characters go into the corner and do a football huddle with Gibbs. The chatter, and the guys from Fox and WSJ have their hands and there pockets and are straining to hear. Pretending to kick rocks and waste time they appear left out and hurt. Then Gibbs becomes upright and claps and they all through their hands into the middle and scream "GoooooooooBama!". Then they retuen to the briefing......
It needs more work, but I offer it up for free to any SNL staff writer.
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