Palin Media Blackout Continues

Palin Media Blackout Continues Share --> by Shushannah Walshe

NEW YORK –It has been widely reported that Sarah Palin has yet to give a news conference or even answer a few questions from the traveling press that follow her from city to city on her plane. But, today the Palin camp went to new lengths to control the media, which is covering the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee.

It was decided by the campaign that today’s meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, and Former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger would be pooled. This means only one television network with their camera and producer, plus a print reporter, and wire reporters would be let in at the beginning of the meeting and then be ushered out before the leaders and Palin began talking. This is common practice in presidential campaigns, but this morning a little over one hour before the meetings would begin the pool network television producer and print poolers were told they were not allowed to enter the meetings.

This means that the Palin camp has the benefit of pictures of her shaking hands with world leaders and have that video broadcast all over the world, but there would be no risk of her having to answer even one question from a reporter at the beginning of the meetings. It is many television network’s policy, including Fox News Channel to not provide a camera if an editorial presence is not allowed in. Once the campaign realized that these pictures would not be seen they relented, but the print pool is still not allowed to enter the Karzai event, which is about to begin.

Palin has done two television interviews since her selection—with ABC’s Charlie Gibson and Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity. One reporter got close enough to Palin to ask her an impromptu question about the AIG bail-out, but that is the only spontaneous question she has gotten thrown at her since being rolled out as McCain’s number two.

 

It is traditional for the press traveling with a candidate to have some relationship with the candidate and special access because of all the hours logged on the plane and on the campaign trail. But, Palin still has not come back to answer any questions or talk to her press corps. The only time the press has met the Alaska governor is on her first solo flight three weeks ago and it was off the record. We shook hands with Palin and she was quickly ushered back to the front of the plane behind a gray curtain where she has remained for the three and a half weeks she has been a candidate.

By Juliet Eilperin
NEW YORK -- Call it the Palin press shut-out.

While GOP presidential nominee John McCain announced this morning he would hold his first press conference since Aug. 13, his campaign decided today they would not let a representative of the print media observe GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin greet foreign leaders.

The campaign had never intended to actually let the press pool into Palin's sessions with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, but Palin's aides indicated last night that designated reporters would be able to watch the Alaska governor greet the visiting dignitaries before heading into a closed-door session. Palin is also meeting with former secretary of state Henry Kissinger later today, where the same rules would apply.

This morning the campaign shifted course and said no print reporters would be welcome at the outset of the meetings, though a foreign policy aide might brief the print media later today. Cameras, however, would remain free to capture Palin's entry onto the world stage.

Then, after shutting the print media out of the meeting with Karzai, the campaign changed direction once again and said a pool reporter from the print press would be allowed to observe the opening moments of Palin's meeting with Uribe and Kissinger.