White House requires media to use Fox News

[ck4829]

Yesterday (January 12th) the White House Correspondents' Association sent a strong letter of protest to White House Counselor Dan Bartlett, expressing their opposition to the fact still photographers, who are in the White House pool, were not allowed admission to the President's speech last Wednesday night. Instead, media outlets were required to use a "screenshot" generated from the FOX News feed. The full text of the letter is printed below. I expect that we will hear about this on FOX News, with the signers of the letter cast as left-wing crazies who hate President Bush.

The letter:

Dear Dan,

On behalf of the White House Correspondents’ Association, and in conjunction with the White House News Photographers Association, we are writing to express our outrage that still pool photographers were denied access to the White House library on Wednesday evening. As you know, following weeks of preparation and the White House build-up leading up to the presidential address, this was a significant foreign policy speech. Forcing newspapers and magazines to rely on a “screen grab” photo from the Fox News network pool feed is simply unacceptable.

In recent months, there has been a growing pattern of restricting pool photographers to White House events, but the situation Wednesday night for this important speech to the nation is the most glaring.

We expressed our concern to Tony Snow and Dana Perino earlier today, and join the WHNPA in asking that this practice end. These photographers provide a vital service to wires, magazines and newspapers around the world, while also serving as a lasting historical record to the events of our times. In addition, a White House photo release is never an acceptable substitute for independent news coverage. Therefore, in our strongest terms possible, we want to express our disappointment that a decision was made to keep even a single pool photographer from the room, and ask that it never happen again.

Regards,

Board of Directors - WHCA
Steven Scully, C-SPAN
Ann Compton, ABC News
Jennifer Loven, Associated Press
Peter Maer, CBS News
Steve Holland, Reuters
Doug Mills, New York Times
Ken Walsh, US News & World Report
Ken Herman, Cox Newspapers
Mike Allen, TIME

http://www.newshounds.us/2007/01/13/white_house_forces_media_to_use_screenshots_generated_by_fox_news.php#more

[AspenRose]

1. Well well well, welcome to the party, kids

Do you honestly think Tony Snow and the White House CARE about your "outrage?"

[SpiralHawk]

22. Only 6 years late, corporate media lackeys

get a frikkin clue about the Propaganda Catapulters of the republicon party

[malaise]

2. Hang out with dogs and

you catch fleas. MSM earned this total disrespect for complicity in Bushcos crimes. Further the speech was recorded and I guess FUX is willing to keep secrets.

[Roland99]

3. And if it does happen again? What will they do? Lay back and take it?

[Cooley Hurd]

4. Was his "live"speech pre-recorded?

Why else would they preclude still photographers from it?:shrug:

[NYC Liberal]

8. Ding ding ding! We have a winner.

That's exactly why they weren't allowed. Fox, of course, isn't going to "leak" this detail...other networks tho, might not be so willing.

Let's see if they do some digging to find out the truth of it.

[Cooley Hurd]

11. I thought it was very strange that, during what was billed as the most important...

...speech of his Presidency, he had a minor audio problem at the beginning (not enough to mess up the message, mind you). Was this audio glitch done on purpose to give the illusion of a "live" speech? Or, perhaps it was just the best take they had before the Chimp nodded off for good?:shrug:

[Glimmer of Hope]

14. It was obviously taped. Is the White House saying it wasn't?

[NYC Liberal]

19. I think most people assume that a "Presidential Speech To the Nation"

is live. It's usually assumed and even if the WH didn't specifically say that it was, they do know that that's what most will think.

[Rosemary2205]

33. Appearantly WH press corps thought it was taped even beforehand

One of those friend of a friend of a friend deals.

A reporter for Christian Science Monitor appearantly said they didn't hold the usual lottery to have press there live. They were told an hour in advance and everyone in the press room basically just accepted that the feed was taped.

[tavalon]

35. Bingo

It was pretty obvious that it was prerecorded. I was surprised that more of a stink wasn't made on DU about it but I guess the gaslighting he did overshadowed whether it was prerecorded or not.

[thepurpose]

5. Clue to press. The WH could give a shit what you want or think.

[kevinmc]

6. I say they start using old file photos of Bush .......

Like this one .....





Use this a few times and the problem will be solved.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Time for the M$M

to show the world the real George Bush.

They've got all the videos.

[Jeanette in FL]

13. yes, that would solve the problem

Or the one where he is giving the press the middle finger.

Thanks for the first laugh of the morning.

[Morgana LaFey]

20. I think they should run with it and not use ANY photos --

but instead, a blank space saying why there was no photo.

[B Calm]

7. 1984

[annabanana]

10. OK guys! The gauntlet has been tossed... You are now back

on the same side of the wall as we are. YOU have the resources to fight back. The question is, Will You?

[Dinger]

12. Nothing Of This Has Been Mentioned. It Is FORBIDDEN For The Press To Talk About It nt

[wakeme2008]

15. Yesterday I was willing to bet it was Fox doing the taping

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3104837&mesg_id=3104914

Bush is so predictable.. :grr:

[Toots]

16. I can't believe Scully was part of this

He is as right wing as his brother who shoved Medicare reform down America's throat and withheld information from Congress.

[KoKo]

27. Who is Steve Scully's brother who did this... He comes from a family of 14

and I'd be :scared: to think that there are 13 others who are as RW as "Stevie" is out there making mischief.

[WritersBlock]

17. The "White House Library" isn't a library; it's a movie set.

Didn't know this until I watched a program on UK Channel 4 the other night, in which a former UK ambassador interviewed Karl Rove inside that "library."

It's just a set. We don't normally get to see the peeling paint on the wall to the right of the "bookshelf" because it's off-camera.

Of course it was all pre-taped. I doubt there is room inside the studio for any reporters. Except, of course, the toadie from Faux.

[Ediacara]

30. There is a library in the WH on the ground floor

I have no idea if this is the same library that was used in the speech, but it has two windows, two doors, a very large fireplace, and not much in the way of book shelves. It is pretty small though, 26 ft x 22 ft. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_%28White_House%29

I suspect you're right, it probably was pre-recorded in the Library with the excuse that the press core couldn't possibly fit in such a small room, but then again, the Oval Office isn't much bigger with its long and short axes being 36 ft and 29 ft respectively.

[WritersBlock]

31. It looked like exactly the same bookcase as the one in the studio.

Pretty sure it's the same lamp, too.

But you're right, and I should have been more clear in my post.

I should have said that any speech that is televised and reported to be coming from the White House Library is, in all probability, coming from this studio.

[MethuenProgressive]

18. Great find - but not surprising, is it?

And even on tape he flubbed several lines...

(I said flubbed, not snorted...) :evilgrin:

[hootinholler]

25. Flub - verb

To inhale sharply with force.

-Hoot

[spanone]

21. Dan Bartletts response. Go fuck yourself.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Jeez. Clinton didn't even have private counsel, and the Bush Administration

gets proprietary over a public photo at a public event?

WTF

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

24. i don't know if this proves anything, but i have a screen shot

from c-span feed where, right after the speech, there was a picture of the white house in the background and the presidential seal overlaid with the word "PRIMARY" below it.

did they switch from the "tape" to the primary feed? it was on for only a second or less.

[bluedog]

26. ahum.....media: Stop covering * and goons:: not any coverage

of his "photo-ops"....just tell the item and back off..............* has told you all to go to HELL and you are only to blame yourselves!!!!Suckers.......

[Individualist]

34. ...no one to blame but themselves

Absolutely! They've been propaganda outlets for the neocons, withholding facts from the American public, and this is what they get for their efforts. They deserve the abuse they're getting!

[xkenx]

28. Where were those Bush enablers the past 6 years?

They sowed the crop by being lackeys to the forming dictatorship. Now they're harvesting the stinkweed and complaining about the stench. Ptui!

[KoKo]

29. Unless one is on the Liberal Internets....American People will never hear about

this latest. Was Bush so drunk or drugged he had to tape his speech? Why not be upfront and say the speech was taped? Would anyone have cared if it was taped or not if they announced it. What is the White House staff covering up? It must be pretty bad...worse than we imagine.

[BearSquirrel2]

32. They should have refused ...

The other networks should have refused to to show it.