Obama attracts diverse press corps.
By on Jan 23rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
Obama attracts diverse press corps.
Politico reports that the Obama administration’s first press briefing yesterday “was one of the most crowded ever –- and more diverse than ever too, with about a dozen black reporters, veterans and newbies among them.” There were four black media outlets represented, including three monthly magazines who have hired their first White House reporters to cover Obama. The White House press corps has long been the “exclusive bastion of white males” — a fact that even the former President Bush noticed, once remarking to American Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan, “I’m not pandering, but I wish there were more blacks in the press corps.” Ryan said she had never seen as many people of color in the briefing room as yesterday.
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It is long overdue.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:57 amHave I missed it, or has Obama not had a chance to call on Helen Thomas in a press briefing? I was hoping she’d get the first question of the first briefing, to signal another new tone at the White House.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 amAnd a note to Robert Gibbs- Start calling regularly on Helen Thomas!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:01 amWhat difference does this make. American jobs are being outsouirced to India and China. Obama is not addressing this.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:02 amThe college where I teach is 90% black, and is located in a part of Atlanta known as ‘the ghetto’. Things are so much different now in black America (and there is, unfortunately, a black America). This is a great thing. A white country electing a black man. Proudest I have ever been of this country….
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 amWrong thread, Mo.
But hey, you never seem to be very sure of where you are.
Where are Larry and Curly?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:04 amInteresting story. But let’s call-out Politico for their Obama bashing instead of this tid-bit. Politico got their panties in a bunch because Obama came down to visit the press corps and Politico tried to score neocon points by asking questions.
All evening yesterday their headline was “Obama gets irritated”. Politico has decided to be at the forefront of creating fodder for FoxNews, Morning Joe and Drudge.
What do you think was Drudge’s headline this AM? Yup, that Obama gets testy. It was part of the perfect trifecta set-up that Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith and Politico have been talking about establishing: Politico “reports” on news, although they actually do very little research … Drudge links to it … and FoxNews reports it as news.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:06 amProfit Mo Says: What difference does this make. American jobs are being outsouirced to India and China. Obama is not addressing this.
It’s only been three days. Give the man a chance. Sheesh!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:06 amAny notice the arrival of a one trick pony?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:09 amWould you expect anything less? We’ve had 8 long year of propaganda spewed from The Peoples House. Now at least we will have an engaged conversation with intelligent human-beings, not the same old party line — Blah Blah Blah!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 amWhat I want to know is did Gibbs acknowledge Helen Thomas?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 amdbadass Says:
Any notice the arrival of a one trick pony?
___________
Yeah… kinda comes across like Trajan.
Same blunt drive to force the conversation in ONE direction, only.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 ammk3872 Says:
Interesting story. But let’s call-out Politico for their Obama bashing instead of this tid-bit. Politico got their panties in a bunch because Obama came down to visit the press corps and Politico tried to score neocon points by asking questions.
All evening yesterday their headline was “Obama gets irritated”. Politico has decided to be at the forefront of creating fodder for FoxNews, Morning Joe and Drudge.
Have you just now figured out that Politico is the Internet version of Fixed News? I knew that from the day they started. And now they are polluting the Huffington Post. HP must have some kind of an agreement with Politico because 90% of their links go to Politico. The Huffington Post has become a tabloid ever since the election. It’s kind of sad to see what was once a great news blog deteriorate to what it is today.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 am“…a one trick pony”
It has a bag strapped to both ends.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:14 amThey’re interchangeable, and always full.
The Republic of Stupidity Says:
Wrong thread, Mo.
But hey, you never seem to be very sure of where you are.
Where are Larry and Curly?
They’re in the Banana Republic with Lush RimJob…
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:14 amProfit Mo Says:
What difference does this make. American jobs are being outsouirced to India and China. Obama is not addressing this.
Since this is not something that Obama can change by Executive Order, he will have to put it on his pile of legislation needed. Once he gets our economy stabilized, I’m betting that outsourcing of our jobs will come to the top of his to-do list.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 ammk3872 @ 7- Yep.
Obama needs to ignore the idiot attitudes Politico et al are developing in their coverage (but graciously, lest they get their knickers in an even bigger twist over the high, high standard they’ve newly acquired to judge BO & his team).
And lest we forget- they LOVED Bush & Rove’s sloppy quail wing seconds.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 amNonetheless, the veteran reporters behaved poorly. As if they are trying to make amends for their kid glove treatment of Bush&Co, they showed no mercy to Gibbs/Obama with their criticism — mostly over the re-taking of the oath, to which they petulantly displayed a juvenile response at not being invited to cover the unnecessary act.
Apparently they don’t know:
1. Teddy Roosevelt did not use a Bible. Neither did Lyndon Johnson.
2. “So help me god” is an ad lib and not part of the official oath – so are all previous presidents to be declared invalid?
3. Roberts admitted he made an error in transposing words, but at noon, Obama was president regardless of the formality.
4. The repeat performance was done to preempt false criticism, yet it appears they could not win, no matter. An official re-do would have validated false claims and brought criticism that the Executive orders signed that day were invalid. Not having a re-do would have allowed the critics to continue the false claim that Obama is “invalid.”
That is what the press focused mostly on yesterday, preserving their reputation for the inane and stupid.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:19 amGibbs did call on Helen Thomas. She asked about prisons in other countries besides Guantanamo.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:20 amPolitico is a republican outlet masquerading as independent.
I read it daily, but it makes me furious with their biased coverage. They are the “legitimate” souce used by Drudge and other idiots.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 amMarie Says:
That is what the press focused mostly on yesterday, preserving their reputation for the inane and stupid.
_____________
And Dymbnamo is lapping it up, like water from a dog’s dish…
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 amThe messiah needs his space!!
That’s right! And now Bush the Simple can have all the space he wants. Perhaps Bush the Simple did things right by running away from the press at every opportunity, unless it was hand picked with preauthorized questions.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 amSo, h_c… how about those Eagles????
Nice mullet, BTW.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:30 ammk3872: Politico “reports” on news, although they actually do very little research … Drudge links to it … and FoxNews reports it as news.
I can haz circle-jerk?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:33 amWhat, no Jeff Guckert/Gannon?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 amProfit Mo Says:
What difference does this make. American jobs are being outsouirced to India and China. Obama is not addressing this.
*
hi twajie!
* 8 *
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 amHippie_crusher Says: “I guess he had no teleprompter, so it was just not right.”
LOL Your’s seems to be functioning quite well.
The reporters, in their overwhelming greed for a scoop, lacked the common decency, much less the cognizance, to recognize Barack Obama’s overture of an attempt at rapport.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 amWe really are so parochial!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:40 amNevar Says:
LOL Your’s seems to be functioning quite well.
The reporters, in their overwhelming greed for a scoop…
___________
They weren’t even looking for a scoop. They were looking to ambush him.
I think we can be pretty sure what the next 4 years are going to be like, after the last three days…
We’ve already had the “Obama’s Not really The President ‘Cause he Didn’t Say the Oath Right” Controversy. ow we’ve got the raging “Obama Can’t handle the Press” Controversy threatening to boil over into a national calamity.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think the wingnutters are out for revenge here. Perhaps they fell we were too hard on their beloved Chimpenfuhrer and his Reich. Gonna be an interesting 4 years, to say the least.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:45 amsit down and shut up!!!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:50 amIt’s funny, because the FauxNews website had some snarky article yesterday about how “the press” was feeling left out by the Obama staff — that was the headline but the only real complaint was that a limited pool of reporters had been allowed to witness the re-do on the oath.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:54 amWhat’s funny is Obama is trying to reach out to them. If he didn’t come down there, there would be stories that he doesn’t like the media or he doesn’t want to answer tough questions. He’s damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t! Spit!
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:56 amI didn’t think Politico was that biased, but I was just using it for election “horse race” stuff anyways. I thought they were pretty balanced then. Maybe they’ve lost they gizzodammed minds since.
.
Profit Mo Says:
What difference does this make. American jobs are being outsouirced to India and China. Obama is not addressing this.
What? When has he not been talking about jobs and outsourcing?!? It’s one of his major themes! I hear that he’s been working on some legislative thingy you may or may not have heard of.
.
Dynamo Says:
President Obama made a surprise visit…
You post that as if we weren’t already talking about it.
.
Hippie_crusher Says:
President Obama made a surprise visit…
You post that as if we weren’t already talking about it.
.
“Ahh, see,” he said, “I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can’t end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I’m going to get grilled every time I come down here.”
To be fair, Obama shouldn’t be expecting to be able to go down to the press room and “just shake hands.” The people down there aren’t there to be your buddies. They’re working. Their jobs are to grill you. If you go down there, that’s what they’ll do. So next time, he should be prepared to be grilled before going down there.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 amI hope our lady, Helen, made her appearance in the front row where she belongs.
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 amProfit Mo has his eye on the bottom line. Prehaps Mo should have gone the way of bush.
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:41 amDynamo Says: And liberals blame republicans for bringing up race. This whole post is about what color all these journalist skin is. Pathetic hypocrites!
Amen! Why are you liberal freaks worrying about equal access and opportunity for all when there are naked statues to be covered?
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:50 amha!
they’re everywhere! they’re everywhere!
it’s like the “news” media just woke up…
commercials on tv have been warming up the folks for quite a while… i noticed lots of new advertising using good looking black and brown people and families all over the place…
welcome to the world, African-americans, Blacks, people of color…
sorry it took so long…
you’ll let us whities know when it gets too condescending.
- from a german/irish/italian caucasion, lapsed catholic, mid-boomer female rooted in central illinois…
peace.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 pmCould people stop idolizing Helen Thomas like she’s the Virgin Mary to Obama’s messiah or something? It’s really creeping me out.
.
Dr. Hussein Matt Says:
But, but, but the librul press is in the bag for Obama!
It’s a tank. Not what I understand what that means either. Military vehicle? Large metal container?
.
Dynamo Says:
And liberals blame republicans for bringing up race.
You just brought up race again, you Racy McRacist. Yeah, there really was no point in talking about it when 100% of the people in power were white. I guess you’d like to get back to there being no point in talking about it again, huh? It’s almost like people have forgotten to know their place or something…
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:42 pmA new press corp? Perhaps they will do now what they refused to do for nearly eight years. Ask some tough questions and demand some real answers.
Helen Thomas is back. Wonderful. She had all the courage the rest of them lacked. She was isolated by Bush and the Press Secretary refused her questions for several years. She would not let them off the hook. Go get em Helen!!
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:21 pmDynomoron you are an ignorant piece of garbage and a worthless troll. Do the world a favor and go contemplate your navel in a cave in Sri Lanka far away from normal human beings
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm