White House bars some news organisations from briefing

[rooster59]

White House bars some news organisations from briefing

By Ayesha Rascoe

 

Journalists leave after several major news organizations including CNN, The New York Times and Politico were excluded from an off camera "gaggle" meeting with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in his office that was held in place of the regular daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House excluded several major U.S. news organizations, including some it has openly criticized, from an off-camera briefing held by the White House press secretary on Friday, representatives of the organisations said.

Reporters for CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed were not allowed into the session in the office of press secretary Sean Spicer.

Spicer's off-camera briefing, or "gaggle," replaced the usual televised daily news briefing on Friday in the White House briefing room. He did not say why those particular news organizations were excluded, a decision which drew strong protests.

Reuters was included in the session, along with about 10 other news organizations, including Bloomberg and CBS.

Spicer said his team decided to have a gaggle in his office instead of a full briefing in the larger White House briefing room.

"Our job is to make sure that we're responsive to folks in media. We want to make sure we answer your questions, but we don't need to do everything on camera every day,” he said.

Reporters at the Associated Press and Time magazine walked out of the briefing when hearing that others had been barred from the session.

Off-camera gaggles are not unusual. The White House often invites handpicked outlets in for briefings, typically for specific topics. But briefings and gaggles in the White House are usually open to all outlets and they are free to ask anything.

A pool reporter from Hearst Newspapers was included in the gaggle on Friday, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said, and was preparing a pool report for distribution to the entire press corps. Media outlets allowed into the gaggle also shared their audio with others.

President Donald Trump has regularly attacked the media. Earlier on Friday, at a gathering of conservative activists, he heaped criticism on news organizations that he said provide "fake news" and called them an "enemy" of the American people.

PROTESTS

Spicer's decision drew a sharp response from some of the media outlets that were excluded.

"Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties," Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, said in a statement.

"We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organizations. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest."

The White House Correspondents Association, or WHCA, also protested.

"The WHCA board is protesting strongly against how today's gaggle is being handled by the White House," said Jeff Mason, president of the association and a Reuters reporter.

Trump says some news organizations lie and on Friday denounced their use of anonymous sources. Critics say Trump's attacks endanger press freedoms.

During the election campaign last year, Trump's team banned a few news organizations, including The Washington Post and BuzzFeed, from covering his campaign rallies for a period of time to protest their coverage.

CNN posted a Twitter message on Friday afternoon saying: "This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House. Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don’t like. We’ll keep reporting regardless.”

Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, said in a statement: "While we strongly object to the White House's apparent attempt to punish news outlets whose coverage it does not like, we won't let these latest antics distract us from continuing to cover this administration fairly and aggressively."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-05

[stevenl]

AP and Time were right to walk out. I have said it time and time again, he is out to silence the media.
It is getting more dangerous by the day.

sent using Tapatalk

[Peterw42]

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

AP and Time were right to walk out. I have said it time and time again, he is out to silence the media.
It is getting more dangerous by the day.

sent using Tapatalk
 

Its in the first chapter of "Dictatorship for Dummies", silence the opposition media.

[canuckamuck]

I wasn't sure but I like Trump more every day.

[ezzra]

 

Those media outlets have installed themselves as  king makers of people lives and careers for far too long and with impunity, with their ink they can make or brake and ruin someone's life, time that someone will put them in their right places,

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I wasn't sure but I like Trump more every day.

Why?  Do you like dictators?  That's what it's starting to look like.  And so far, he's achieved hardly anything other than create chaos.  We definitely don't need this:

 

 

[craigt3365]

18 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I wasn't sure but I like Trump more every day.

And yet in this thread:

 

You seemed to support the fallacy of muzzling the media?

[SheungWan]

27 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I wasn't sure but I like Trump more every day.

 

20 minutes ago, ezzra said:

 

Those media outlets have installed themselves as  king makers of people lives and careers for far too long and with impunity, with their ink they can make or brake and ruin someone's life, time that someone will put them in their right places,

The Know-Nothing Team.

[mamypoko]

Had Breitbart News been excluded that would have been just as bad.

This is not a partisan issue,,,The WH is denying us our right to know.

torch lit rallies just around corner

[Peterw42]

The white house could let the other news agencies in, just have a way of identifying them. Maybe a yellow star on their arm, or something similar.

[Traveler19491]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

I wasn't sure but I like Trump more every day.

 

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

 

Those media outlets have installed themselves as  king makers of people lives and careers for far too long and with impunity, with their ink they can make or brake and ruin someone's life, time that someone will put them in their right places,

 

The fallacious thinking of the uninformed and willfully ignorant. The entire purpose of the free press provision of the First Amendment is to assure that "We the People" have full and open disclosure when it comes to our government. Which is why we need reporting and commentary from both ends of the political spectrum. A free press is the only means the people have of holding their elected representatives, including the President, to account for their actions. Which is also why virtually every administration has had a contentious relationship with the press, including Obama. However, as the right is so quick to assert with anyone they don't like...if they have nothing to hide, then why object? This so-called President and his so-called administration are working as no other administration in history has to subvert the basic principles of freedom. Muzzle the press, hide any and all specific details of how they intend to implement their agenda, lie continually, and viciously attack anyone who opposes them. How long until they start arresting reporters? They have already begun the equivalent of book burning in their demands to erase data from the EPA and regulatory agencies whose findings contradict their talking points, as well as silencing representatives from agencies whose functions they don't like. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.

[mike324]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

 

Those media outlets have installed themselves as  king makers of people lives and careers for far too long and with impunity, with their ink they can make or brake and ruin someone's life, time that someone will put them in their right places,

 

Don't like criticisms and you just ban the media? Shame shame shame ... it will only get worse

So Trump saying false things won't ruin people's lives? I don't think I even need to list all the false and contradicting he or his party members has says that already has a major impact on people.

[55Jay]

There's often a grain of righteousness behind these nutty Trump camp tantrums.  Sure, the optics are terrible,  but it's a bit disingenuous to ignore the context and cry foul as if it didn't exist.

 

When Fox was peaking on the partisan bulls**t meter several months ago (more than usual) I had to grin when Obama bitch slapped what's his name..... their WH Pool Rep..... by simply ignoring him.   Obama's gripe was Fox was "fake news" twisting truth to fit their agenda.  Might as well kicked the guy out of the room and in fact, he got so embarrassed/upset, he got up and left all on his own.  Did Fox, as a network, deserve that kind of treatment?  Hell yes!  Anyone who objected was clearly a member of the Basket of Deplorables, so who cares, right?

 

It's no secret where CNN, NYT, Politico, etc stand on Trump and which side of the aisle they lean toward in general.  Trump could single-handedly save a kitten from a tree, and they would somehow turn it into a negative story, maybe some snarky jokes about his hair matching the cat's, etc....

 

Being excluded from Spicer's Gaggle won't stop them filling white space, don't you worry 'bout that.  In fact, they are probably loving this development and the optics it generates.  Media Martyrs, loathed and ostracized by the most Powerful Man in the Galaxy,  rounded up, put on a train with barred windows and sent to Media Prison in Siberia for telling THE TRUTH to the Murican Peeples....who have a RIGHT TO KNOW!  Mew mew, sniff sniff.   This is waaaayyy good for business.  Michael Moore will be along shortly to make a 90 minute documentary about it. 

Edited February 25, 2017 by 55Jay

[klauskunkel]

Quote

President Donald Trump has regularly attacked the media. Earlier on Friday, at a gathering of conservative activists, he heaped criticism on news organizations that he said provide "fake news" and called them an "enemy" of the American people.

This is straight from PM Prayuth's play-book...., wonder what Trump will copy next? Maybe write songs about America?

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

 

 

It's no secret where CNN, NYT, Politico, etc stand on Trump and which side of the aisle they lean toward in general.  Trump could single-handedly save a kitten from a tree, and they would somehow turn it into a negative story, maybe some snarky jokes about his hair matching the cats, etc....

 

Absolutely not true.  Tapper has said many times he'd love to be reporting on good things the Trump administration plans to do...or is doing.  But can't due to the BS of the administration.  Do something right and the press will report it. 

 

It's just wrong what they are doing.  A free press is a fundamental pillar of the American society.  Don't believe Bannon's statements about the press.  He's plain wrong.  And a bit looney.

[55Jay]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

Absolutely not true.  Tapper has said many times he'd love to be reporting on good things the Trump administration plans to do...or is doing.  But can't due to the BS of the administration.  Do something right and the press will report it. 

 

It's just wrong what they are doing.  A free press is a fundamental pillar of the American society.  Don't believe Bannon's statements about the press.  He's plain wrong.  And a bit looney.

IMO, there are no absolutes.  That's why you/we have to peruse multiple networks/sites, collate, and then you can still never be sure you've got it all.

 

Jake Tapper can do what he wants to do.  Might be looking for another job at some point if he does.  I know, that's cynical but..... do you disagree 100% with that? 

[Peterw42]

20 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

It's no secret where CNN, NYT, Politico, etc stand on Trump and which side of the aisle they lean toward in general.  Trump could single-handedly save a kitten from a tree, and they would somehow turn it into a negative story, maybe some snarky jokes about his hair matching the cat's, etc....

Yes, and if trump started torturing kittens, fox news would either not tell you about it or somehow put a positive spin on it. Its Obamas fault, Hilary did it worse, its those immigrants etc

The issue is not biased reporting, its trump trying to shut down the biased reporting that doesnt suit him or his agenda. 

Biased news is by default, the checks and balances on other biased news. You can only push a fake story so far, as the other side will eventually prove you wrong and make you look stupid. 

Edited February 25, 2017 by Peterw42

[55Jay]

6 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Yes, and if trump started torturing kittens, fox news would either not tell you about it or somehow put a positive spin on it. Its Obamas fault, Hilary did it worse, its those immigrants etc

The issue is not biased reporting, its trump trying to shut down the biased reporting that doesnt suit him or his agenda. 

Maybe.  Or maybe it's exactly as you said re: Fox, just the shoe's on the other foot.  There are no saints here.  Pretending there are in order to jump on the Silencing of the Media train, is disingenuous.

 

I'm not agreeing with not inviting CNN, NYT, Politico to the Gaggle.  I think it's childish and petulant.  But I don't pretend that it's happening in a vacuum, for no reason.  If you pretty much know they are going to twist the information to suit THEIR agenda, because they have and do, then they need to be calibrated.  

Edited February 25, 2017 by 55Jay

[Rob13]

19 minutes ago, mike324 said:

 

Don't like criticisms and you just ban the media?

To be fair, he hasn't banned the media,  only a select few news outlets. IMO, the real problem is lack of regular press conferences and the random methods the administration uses to release information.  

 

NYT has been publishing overly biased 'news' against Trump since the campaign. They sold out their credibility. 

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

IMO, there are no absolutes.  That's why you/we have to peruse multiple networks/sites, collate, and then you can still never be sure you've got it all.

 

Jake Tapper can do what he wants to do.  Might be looking for another job at some point if he does.  I know, that's cynical but..... do you disagree 100% with that? 

Agree that multiple sites is a good thing. Thus, banning the more prominent, and respected, media sites from briefings is not a good thing.  That is an absolute truth.

 

I've seen many broadcasts from Tapper.  He's not a bad talking head.  Sad that some don't see what's going on here.  Attacking the media like this is not a good thing.  Absolutely.

[Dagnabbit]

28 minutes ago, Traveler19491 said:

 

The fallacious thinking of the uninformed and willfully ignorant. The entire purpose of the free press provision of the First Amendment is to assure that "We the People" have full and open disclosure when it comes to our government. Which is why we need reporting and commentary from both ends of the political spectrum. A free press is the only means the people have of holding their elected representatives, including the President, to account for their actions. Which is also why virtually every administration has had a contentious relationship with the press, including Obama. However, as the right is so quick to assert with anyone they don't like...if they have nothing to hide, then why object? This so-called President and his so-called administration are working as no other administration in history has to subvert the basic principles of freedom. Muzzle the press, hide any and all specific details of how they intend to implement their agenda, lie continually, and viciously attack anyone who opposes them. How long until they start arresting reporters? They have already begun the equivalent of book burning in their demands to erase data from the EPA and regulatory agencies whose findings contradict their talking points, as well as silencing representatives from agencies whose functions they don't like. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.

 

Those organisations are still free to write what they like. Not a single freedom was taken off them.

 

The bottom line is that when the "free press" turn themselves into political hacks, out to ouster the president, they don't really earn full access to his team.

 

Cry all you like about it.  This is not impeding the freedom of the press in any way whatsoever.

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, 55Jay said:

Maybe.  Or maybe it's exactly as you said re: Fox, just the shoe's on the other foot.  There are no saints here.  Pretending there are in order to jump on the Silencing of the Media train, is disingenuous.

 

I'm not agreeing with not inviting CNN, NYT, Politico to the Gaggle.  I think it's childish and petulant.  But I don't pretend that it's happening in a vacuum, for no reason.  If you pretty much know they are going to twist the information to suit THEIR agenda, because they have and do, then they need to be calibrated.  

But they are not always twisting the info.  Just reporting on things Trump and administration does.  Like talking with the FBI illegally.  Trump and Bannon don't like this so they are trying to silence them.  Not a good thing.  I'm sure you agree.

[stevenl]

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Maybe.  Or maybe it's exactly as you said re: Fox, just the shoe's on the other foot.  There are no saints here.  Pretending there are in order to jump on the Silencing of the Media train, is disingenuous.

 

I'm not agreeing with not inviting CNN, NYT, Politico to the Gaggle.  I think it's childish and petulant.  But I don't pretend that it's happening in a vacuum, for no reason.  If you pretty much know they are going to twist the information to suit THEIR agenda, because they have and do, then they need to be calibrated.  

What twisting? Looking forward to examples of that, because all I see is factual reporting.

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

 

Those organisations are still free to write what they like. Not a single freedom was taken off them.

The freedom to attend a press briefing was taken off them. 

[Grouse]

The BBC was also barred

 

Cancel the invitation for a state visit to the UK.

 

ASTONISHING that ANY American can support this <deleted>.

Edited February 25, 2017 by ubonjoe
defamatory comment removed

[Dagnabbit]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

The freedom to attend a press briefing was taken off them. 

The privilege was taken off them.

 

You try walking into one of those press briefings and see how 'free' they are.

[55Jay]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

Agree that multiple sites is a good thing. Thus, banning the more prominent, and respected, media sites from briefings is not a good thing.  That is an absolute truth.

 

I've seen many broadcasts from Tapper.  He's not a bad talking head.  Sad that some don't see what's going on here.  Attacking the media like this is not a good thing.  Absolutely.

Prominent, yes.  Respected?  Subjective. 

 

I like Jake Tapper too and agree, in the main, that attacking the media is wrong.  Both sides engage have engaged in it.  Trump's camp is taking it to a new level.

[Dagnabbit]

2 minutes ago, Grouse said:

The BBC was also barred

 

Cancel the invitation for a state visit to the UK.

 

ASTONISHING that ANY American can support this imbecile.....

As a citizen of the United Kingdom, I can hand on heart say that I do not support the BBC and they do not support me.

 

Donald should be knighted for barring them.

[55Jay]

At any rate, this too shall pass.  They'll be back in the room tomorrow. 

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, Dagnabbit said:

As a citizen of the United Kingdom, I can hand on heart say that I do not support the BBC and they do not support me.

 

Donald should be knighted for barring them.

It's a sad day when citizens of the most free countries in the world support suppression of free speech.  A terrible thing.  And a step towards dictatorship.  Like we have here in Thailand.