Arab Media Correspondent Trashes White House Press Corps: They’re ‘Arrogant’ And ‘Obnoxious’
Arab Media Correspondent Trashes White House Press Corps: They’re ‘Arrogant’ And ‘Obnoxious’
Yesterday, ThinkProgress attended a roundtable with members of the Arab media at the Middle East Institute. Discussing the differences between covering the Bush and Obama administrations, Nadia Bilbassy, White House correspondent for the Dubai-based satellite TV network MBC, complained that she has not been called on once in these first eight months of the Obama presidency. The foreign press are “treated like a fifth-class citizen in the briefing room,” she said.
Later in the discussion, ThinkProgress asked about the reporters’ experiences working with the American journalists covering the White House (a.k.a. “The Village”) and about their knowledge of Arab and Middle East issues. They are “the most arrogant, obnoxious group of people,” Bilbassy charged, adding, “They don’t know jack-squat” about the Middle East. The MBC journalist continued:
BILBASSY: I found that I think they really think that if you make it to cover the White House then you must be bigger than God, therefore, you know, you have to be treated as such.
So for them the foreign media is invisible. … So I think they’re opportunistic, rude, as I said, really self-centered. … I find them, not even on like a – people again, the people at the State Department, it’s a different story altogether. But what I’m talking to now are the people in the White House that occupy the first two, three rows, with exception to two or three people you know. I’m talking about all the networks and all the organizations. So I find the relationship is a bit strange.
Watch it:
Bilbassy then said that many of the American journalists covering the White House ignore her and other foreign journalists unless they suddenly become useful:
BILBASSY: Normally they ignore you. You can go to the White House all the time, it’s not just like, I saw you before I would say like, “Hi,” not even “Hi,” not even a smile, nothing. […]
They’re interested in you, like, […] if you know something and they don’t know who you are, you become important for example, …[y]ou know during the Bush administration, when I have interviews with Bush, then all of the sudden [they] come up and goes like, “Oh can we have the transcript before it goes on air?” or “Can we, you know, what did the President say?” Then the next day they forget who you are. So I think it’s really more opportunistic.
“I think they must have been tortured as kids,” Bilbassy concluded. Either that, she said, or “something happened to them as adults. That can’t be normal behavior, honestly.”
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There are two foreign objects in my party: brown people and criticizing your own.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:08 pmThey were turned inward by Marriott hotels.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pm“The Village” is full of a$$h0les and arrogant jerks?
/snark warning
September 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pmI’m shocked. Just shocked.
Gitovahitgurlfrend. Tats DC. Money before life. Me Me Me and screw you.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:11 pmAt least one republican value has made an indelible impression on a demlib administration. Maintaining a superficial relationship at best with ‘those folks’ is an unwritten amendment to the constitution, and Amurica is prouder for it.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:15 pm“Nadia Bilbassy”
Who?
September 29th, 2009 at 7:16 pmMs. Bilbassy is probably on the mark with “opportunistic”, and no, they weren’t tortured as kids, they were just raised with a ‘me first’ attitude – which generates damned near uncontrolled opportunism. They all have great futures as politicians ahead of them, unless they get into real estate or insurance sales first. Used cars – that’s their vocational apptitude – oh, and payday loansharking.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:21 pmThat’s entertainment for ya.
Who would have guessed that these people have become empty vessels?
September 29th, 2009 at 7:22 pm@ 4. Dang, Xisithrus, you hit it before I did. Right arm! Dood!
September 29th, 2009 at 7:23 pmWhat we need now is some real investigation and real reporting. That would help thin out the bind ambition that dominates now.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:25 pmWhat Ms. Bilbassy might consider is trying to make the acquaintance of Helen Thomas or one of the other senior correspondents. She might find them to be somewhat more professional in their attitudes.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:27 pmWhat does this Nadia Bilbassy have against Helen Thomas and why do I have a feeling this outburst is theater?
September 29th, 2009 at 7:36 pmwhere are all the trolls cheering for the muslims who stood up to the president? looks like they’re between the devil and the deep blue sea on this issue. and for once, they decided to keep their pieholes shut.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:41 pmBilbassy is complaining about a nonissue. Most of the press briefings are about domestic issues and the current international issue. These press conferences are relatively dull unless there is major news. The same situation occurs when American press is covering foreign news. There is very little for the press secretary to say about any given issue, domestic or international that is not already known through press releases.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:58 pm@ Bozo The Neoclown
Their simering with rage that their Obama-is-an-Anti-American-Muslim fantasy has once again been foiled by reality.
Some of them are so fixated on this delusion that they couldn’t even bring themselves to acknowledge that Obama gave the order to have Black Muslim pirates shot if there was no other option.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:00 pmSBS Australia rebroadcasts the news from different nations
during the morning. Germany, Spain, China, Japan, Italy, Malaysia, and Dubai.
I find it very enlightening to see how the rest of the world perceives events.
Germany is the most inforamtive, and later in the day, the News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:00 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
The modern day journalist’s cry…me, me, me.
Did she even have a press pass a year ago?
September 29th, 2009 at 8:04 pmI don’t think that anyone is terribly surprised that an insider, if a fringe one, confirms that the people responsible for asking the questions think they have all the answers. And I think it’s fair to mention that calling on a foreign correspondent would bring forth a chorus of screechers demanding that the Administration deal with “American issues” to the exclusion of all others.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:05 pmOops! I forgot to mention that calling on an Arab reporter would result in another parade of drooling fiends on Washington.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:06 pmPoS,
September 29th, 2009 at 8:08 pmare you “speaking in tongues” mary, or just mumbling because you have boo-hoo glenda becky’s nuts in your mouth like a squirrel getting ready for winter?
I couldn’t agree more, Mathazar. Jim Lehrer’s bunch is the closest we have left to real T.V. journalism. Despite the cries from the Reichwing that they’re “far-left” and the complaints of “leftists” who note that they’ve also become a corporate entity, I find more good than bad.
It’s about the only place where one can actually watch moderated, topical, debates by proponents who get chided for spewing talking points. And banning that harpy, Melanie Morgan, earned a good bit of my admiration too.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:18 pmPolitically Superior says:
Why does this hairy camel licker talking again? Who is she?
LOL! A racist that can’t construct a readable sentence! Child, stick to licking those pictures of Olbermann, because you got nothin’! LOL!
September 29th, 2009 at 8:19 pmYep, PoS has our attention. Again.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:22 pmPole-Icky Stooperior
Vat iz your malfunkshun? We run a tight nazilamolenimaohamiltaostalinkeynesraybushgun camp here, jah, and vee vill put you in forced retirement camps viz zee free health care, yah, and two veeks you must spend at gambling cazeenos per year, talking wiz zee old peeples, HELL, if you doan act zee correctly!!
September 29th, 2009 at 8:30 pmAl Jazeera English is where it’s at. Thank goodness for livestation.com.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:39 pmI really don’t feel I know enough to comment on the subject. Of course the WH Press Corps are prima-donnas. So what? Of course the U.S. doesn’t consume nearly enough world news, particularly as compared to other countries. But that’s old news too. I’m not sure whether this story is indicative of a significant problem with the way the administration handles foreign media or whether Bilbassy is just whining because she feels she doesn’t get enough respect. So, you know, whatever.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pmSince the Obama administration’s priorities are not as petroleum and
off-shore tax haven oriented as Bush, I’m sure these Dubai correspondents are missing the “love”.
Lots of love on the Sharon Stone camera angle above, though.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:42 pmI’m guessing poRacists doesn’t realize her ancestors lived in cities and had agriculture and writing while his smelled like donkey doo and were still getting gored by mastodons? ;)
September 29th, 2009 at 8:44 pmMost of the American media is only concerned about propagandizing for the fascist Republican crime syndicate. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that they wouldn’t respect anyone they perceive as not one of them.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:48 pmThis confirms things I suspected but couldn’t prove.
These jerks need to have to re learn their craft.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:00 pmThe most entertaining foreign news is about Italy’s prime minister, Berlusconi. Every time he pops up in the news, you can’t help but laugh.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:18 pmPolitically Superior says:
This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Why does this hairy camel licker talking again? Who is she?
Let me guess, I’d be the racist for calling you out on this comment…
September 29th, 2009 at 9:19 pmI’d be happy if our journalist could just learn to properly pronounce “Iraq” and “Iran”.
Both are easy. Iran can be pronounced using only English phonics. Iraq can be approximated by English phonics and extremely close by using a German “ch”.
After all, isn’t learning someone’s name, pronouncing it correctly, and using it frequently just showing a basic respect ?
September 29th, 2009 at 9:48 pmYou need someone to tell you, Teabagger Don?
September 29th, 2009 at 10:58 pmTeflon Don says:
Who is ben rooting for? The arabs?
Teflon Dork. You think Race should matter in foreign policy? Nazi much? LOL!
September 29th, 2009 at 11:10 pmIt’s difficult to ‘know’ sensitivity!!
MLK had once spoken,
about crooked lines which will straighten,
when the Lord returns, again!
But what is one mere meter, of opinion?
…amidst, scores, of bankrupted clocks?!
September 29th, 2009 at 11:12 pmActually, this may be normal behavior among many subgroups of Americans. Just the other day, I asked a friend if he noticed that people around here are very friendly when they want something, and if you bet that they’d act like they’ve never seen you before in their life when you go over to ask them to return whatever it is they borrowed—well, that’s not a risky bet. (he noticed)
Anyway, if there were a market for investigative journalism, the correspondents might have an incentive to cultivate relationships with foreign correspondents, but they’re just fighting over scoops.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:42 pmTeflon Don says:
Who is ben rooting for? The arabs?
Rooting for how? Are we in some kind of conflict with “the Arabs?”
September 29th, 2009 at 11:49 pmEliHarold says, “Al Jazeera English is where it’s at. Thank goodness for livestation.com”.
It’s sad that you have to go outside the United States to find reliable news and information. Walter Cronkite was the last, honest, television journalist in America. Helen Thomas is the last honest White House correspondant.
Al Jazeera rocks!
September 30th, 2009 at 4:31 amThey are “the most arrogant, obnoxious group of people,” Bilbassy charged, adding, “They don’t know jack-squat” about the Middle East.
pretty much typical behavior for Murkins, especially those of the ‘exceptionalist’ bent, which includes every member of the USer SCUM (SoCalledUnbiasedMedia).
September 30th, 2009 at 8:40 amSteele is a man of respect and should get his people to follow this path:
http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/09/will-roman-polanski-be-raped-in-prison/
http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/09/calm-conservatives-this-is-our-time/
September 30th, 2009 at 8:56 amPolitically Superior is full of white racism!
September 30th, 2009 at 9:10 amRE: PoS @ 17:
FLAGGED for offensive racism.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pmjoedee1969 says:
Steele is a man of respect and should get his people to follow this path:
Good luck getting his people to follow a black man anywhere. The entire GOP has been bucking and ignoring him since he took the reins.
Also, quit linkspamming for your personal blog, thx. You can put a link to the home page in your profile so your name comes up as a link in every post. You don’t have to spam random ones after everything you say. Particularly since neither link has anything to do with what you said introducing them. iFlag.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm