If The News Media Wants Better White House Access, It Needs To Grow The Hell Up
Coincidentally, The Intercept‘s Glenn Greenwald tweeted the following links the other day:
That Obama is horrible on press freedoms is a virtual consensus http://t.co/FNqJZweunV – http://t.co/5p3gznFTX2 – http://t.co/d90jXWHVD5
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 28, 2014
Let’s address Greenwald’s tweet. First of all, I would hardly consider three links to be indicative of a “consensus” — especially when one of the links is an opinion article for The Guardian written by Greenwald himself. Another link takes us to a minuscule blurb about the case of Fox News Channel’s James Rosen. And the other link points to an article from The Washington Post based on an article in USA Today which, in fairness, listed a series of White House reporters and their gripes about the Obama team’s lack of transparency. So, I suppose such a list could be very, very loosely defined as a consensus even though there are hundreds more reporters assigned to the presidential beat who aren’t quoted in any of the links.
Based on the tweet, this “greatest enemy” label doesn’t appear to be about successful prosecutions against journalists, it seems more like an issue of transparency. If it’s the latter, then we have to redefine “The Greatest Enemy to Press Freedom in a Generation,” which clearly suggests that Obama is locking up journalists and defying the First Amendment more than anyone else in 40-some-odd-years. Sure, Risen has been subpoenaed to testify, and Rosen is also being dogged by the Justice Department, but again, neither has been locked up, while the previous two administrations imprisoned eight reporters — consequences that have yet to occur under the current administration so far, a fact that badly undercuts the “greatest enemy” title, along with the reality that Greenwald, who published arguably the most damaging bombshells in recent years, hasn’t been touched.
Let’s take a look at the transparency charges from Greenwald’s link to The Washington Post…READ MORE
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Bob Cesca
Bob Cesca is the managing editor at The Daily Banter (www.thedailybanter.com) and a Huffington Post contributor since 2005. He's worked in journalism since 1988 as a print writer/editor, a radio news anchor, a digital media columnist/editor, a book author and blogger. He's the co-host of the Bubble Genius Bob & Chez Show podcast and a Thursday regular on the syndicated Stephanie Miller Show. He's appeared on numerous other radio shows including the John Phillips Show and Geraldo Rivera Show in Los Angeles. Bob has been a commentator/analyst on the BBC (TV and radio), MSNBC, Current TV, CNN and Sky News. Following him on Twitter: @bobcesca_go
6 responses to If The News Media Wants Better White House Access, It Needs To Grow The Hell Up
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Tammy Minton Haley October 29th, 2014 at 17:18
…many people seem to confuse the words “whistleblower” and “leaker”…hence, the support for snowden–who i regard as a traitor…
tracey marie October 29th, 2014 at 17:46
Indeed!
Tammy Minton Haley October 29th, 2014 at 17:18
…many people seem to confuse the words “whistleblower” and “leaker”…hence, the support for snowden–who i regard as a traitor…
tracey marie October 29th, 2014 at 17:46
Indeed!
Pick6 October 29th, 2014 at 22:50
Great piece, Mr. Cesca.
As a former consumer of the WH press briefings, I’d like the usual RW subjerks in the front row to grow the hell up. I stopped listening regularly after the first time I wanted to jump up and down on my laptop on a day when almost everything they said was scripted RWNJ scat du jour, not legitimate questions. Then when the responses didn’t meet with their approval, they doubled down hard. Those guys are a hindrance to the dissemination of information since whomever is representing the administration isn’t given the luxury of yelling “Sit down and shut up!”. They have no interest in facts. They are trying to create sound bites for the nitwits to chew on. They want to be the deliverer of the big “take away”. Since the obvious solution of not calling on them is out of the question, I say require them to do a hit of helium before speaking.
Pick6 October 29th, 2014 at 22:50
Great piece, Mr. Cesca.
As a former consumer of the WH press briefings, I’d like the usual RW subjerks in the front row to grow the hell up. I stopped listening regularly after the first time I wanted to jump up and down on my laptop on a day when almost everything they said was scripted RWNJ scat du jour, not legitimate questions. Then when the responses didn’t meet with their approval, they doubled down hard. Those guys are a hindrance to the dissemination of information since whomever is representing the administration isn’t given the luxury of yelling “Sit down and shut up!”. They have no interest in facts. They are trying to create sound bites for the nitwits to chew on. They want to be the deliverer of the big “take away”. Since the obvious solution of not calling on them is out of the question, I say require them to do a hit of helium before speaking.