Have you heard this one yet?
(National Journal) New York Times photographer Doug Mills strode into Jay Carney’s office Oct. 29 with a pile of pictures taken exclusively by President Obama’s official photographer at events the White House press corps was forbidden to cover. “This one,” Mills said, sliding one picture after another off his stack and onto the press secretary’s desk. “This one, too – and this one and this one and … .”
The red-faced photographer, joined by colleagues on the White House Correspondents’ Association board, finished his 10-minute presentation with a flourish that made Carney, a former Moscow correspondent for Time, wince.
“You guys,” Mills said, “are just like Tass.”
Comparing the White House to the Russian news agency is a hyperbole, of course, but less so with each new administration. Obama’s image-makers are taking advantage of new technologies that democratized the media, subverting independent news organizations that hold the president accountable. A generation ago, a few mainstream media organizations held a monopoly on public information about the White House. Today, the White House itself is behaving monopolistic.
So, the photogs are a wee bit upset. I have no sympathy for them, nor most in the White House Press Corps, who are complaining about access, as they have acted like good little lapdogs during Obama’s presidency. Where was the massive outcry when the White House locked out certain reporters? When they spied on reporters? When Jay Carney demeans and belittles reporters on a daily basis for daring to ask tough questions (make sure to read down into the article, where Carney belittles the photog concerns)? When access has been reduced overall?
Anyhow, instead of acting like adults and saying “we get what you’re saying, we’ll try better”, Team Obama does what Team Obama always does: pick a fight
The White House released a photo of the press photographing President Obama on Thursday night — a not-so-subtle jab at a group of news outlets who charged that press photographers’ access to the president is being restricted.
White House photographer Pete Souza released a picture through Twitter showing a group of photographers standing over Obama in Oval Office while he signed a series of bills.
https://twitter.com/petesouza/statuses/403699727025180672
An adult would properly consider the concerns and listen. The Office Of the President of the United States Of America should certainly do that. Yet, no, they decide to pick a fight and condescendingly demean the concerns of the photographers.
Obama and his minions are petty, petulant, and childish.
And yeah, the MSM deserves every disrespect they get. They’re suck up to him is like a beaten child to an abusive parent.
Somebody’s rice bowl is about to be broken. If the whitehouse can take its own pictures, why are media photogs needed? With Lamestream media hurting financially, unneeded photogs can be fired. Bowl shattered.
[…] The professional media are somewhat frustrated with the control-the-message-and-medium attitude of the White House; William Teach has exactly no sympathy at all for them. […]