Helen Thomas, Chip Reid Question White House Control of Media

by Roy C | July 1, 2009 at 07:08 pm

1137 views | 38 Recommendations | 12 comments

Helen Thomas, long-time fixture of the White House press corps, took issue with Robert Gibbs' today, double-teaming with CBS' Chip Reid on the issue of the pre-packaging of questions for President Obama's town hall meetings.

Helen Thomas went far beyond that as you will see in the video, claiming that no previous administration had employed such control of the media and stating further that such control was a violation of the notions of transparency and accountability on a level far beyond Richard Nixon's, saying that Obama's people "ought to be hanging their heads in shame".

This summary was taken from NewsBusters.

The press corps might be starting to sour on Barack Obama’s administration.

by Michael Blatt

At a press conference today, Helen Thomas and CBS’s Chip Reid got into it with Robert Gibbs over how the administration has been prepackaging media events.

First Reid asked why the questions for Wednesday’s town hall on healthcare were being preselected. After Gibbs tried to dodge that question a few times, Thomas became involved, saying, “We have never had that in the White House. I’m amazed that you people … call for openness and transparency.”

Thomas said that the administration was trying to control the media, and she pointed out how they coordinated questions with the Huffington Post at a press conference. Thomas is not the first journalist to question the White House’s coordination with the Huffington Post. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank also took the White House to task for the coordination.

Wednesday’s press conference was also not the only media event that was in some way coordinated. Previous town halls have featured Obama campaign supporters and Democratic politicians lobbing softballs at Obama.

As Thomas noted, “[Obama’s] formal engagements are prepackaged.”

After Gibbs continued to dodge questions, Thomas said, “Of course you would, because you don’t have any answers.”

Before the exchange ended, Reid asked Gibbs to pass along this question to Obama: “Is he going to support a tax increase on the middle class?”

Afterwards, Thomas told CNS News that Obama's grip on the media is even greater than that of Richard Nixon.

Nixon didn’t try to do that. They couldn’t control [the media]. They didn’t try that. What the hell do they think we are, puppets? They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them. ... I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well--for the town halls, for the press conferences. It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.

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Paschen

at 19:15 on July 1st, 2009

Those are some heavy allegations.

Roy C

at 19:20 on July 1st, 2009

Yes, Ewe. What I have found and accepted about the presidential candidates is that whatever is said about their bad sides that has even the least little bit of resonance turns out to be true.

Let's say that this disappointment began when I voted for Carter and didn't want to believe what the main editor of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper said about Carter and what he had done and hadn't done as governor of Georgia.

We can go right on through the president to today on that and I know that I will be disappointed on some of the most obvious of stuff.

Really, our entire political class needs to be replaced.

amyjudd

at 19:23 on July 1st, 2009

I thought that Obama's administration was doing quite well with the media, by doing things differently such as live streaming events and having online town hall meetings.

Roy C

at 19:34 on July 1st, 2009

Some of the "towns" turned out to be "Potemkin Villages" of appearance, not substance.

albertacowpoke

at 19:41 on July 1st, 2009

There has been a honeymoon between the press and the Administration. Sometimes I think the whole staging of photo ops, press conference and town hall meetings are part of an election campaign. I think both Chip Reid and Helen Thomas were right to point this out.

hidflect

at 19:49 on July 1st, 2009

Obama sets himself as a "realist". This philosophy has always disturbed me. Realists sneer behind their cuffs at any form of idealism as being naive. Realists see whatever works, shrug their shoulders and say "Well, that's the new standard, folks". It seems Obama's administration has perceived whatever worked with Bush's tenure is just GREAT and rigged town hall meetings is one of those tactics.

Roy C

at 20:32 on July 1st, 2009

Food for thought, there, hidflect.

I would have said the opposite was true. I would say that idealists were drunk on something, the sense that their goal was the true one, and that opposite ideals were demonic, and that out of that a great sense of ends justifying means grew up and took over.

I also think some of this has happened simply because Obama is too young and too captivating of his inner circle, the elites outside of that group, the press and the general public.

They share some complexes about "being" the right way, instead of looking at the issues, one by one, fact by fact, in context.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 02:40 on July 2nd, 2009

Good for them! Thanks for this, Roy!

QueensHart

at 10:37 on July 2nd, 2009

IT IS ABOUT TIME. WHISTLE BLOWERS AT LAST.

Independent Moderage (not verified)

at 11:07 on July 2nd, 2009

Thank you, thank you, thank you Chip and Helen for providing me with a glimmer of hope that the media may start focusing on protecting us from bull again.... regardless of which President of party is slinging it.