Scripted press conference

But for what an old-fashioned journalist used to call “the rest of the story,” we need to read a “break from the pack” account from reporter Dana Milbank of the Washington Post:

White House aides had called Pitney the day before to invite him, and they had escorted him into the room. They told him the president was likely to call on him, with the understanding that he would ask a question about Iran that had been submitted online by an Iranian. “I know that there may actually be questions from people inIran who are communicating through the Internet,” Obama went on. “Do you have a question?” Pitney recognized his prompt. “That’s right,” he said, standing in the aisle and wearing a temporary White House press pass. “I wanted to use this opportunity to ask you a question directly from an Iranian.” Pitney asked his arranged question.

Reporters looked at one another in amazement at the stagecraft they were witnessing. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel grinned at the surprised TV correspondents in the first row.

One would suspect that the lord correspondents from the networks would have been more than amazed. Surely this bit of information, that there had been a planted question at a White House news conference, would have been included in the network news reports. “Full disclosure,” as they say.

But who was going to call the all-powerful president on this bit of media manipulation? A journalist from ABC, the network that wins the lap dog award for extensive programming promoting the president’s health care agenda? A journalist from NBC, whose network recently did a flattering “day at the White House” documentary? Maybe a journalist from CBS, which might be irked that the network only received a morning show interview with the president?

None of the network journalists spoke up – even though this was a situation that demonstrates to the world that the free press in America is no longer what it used to be. It was left to the blogosphere for further dissemination of the Post’s report on White House chicanery. It seems that journalists in 2009 are “gathering, writing, editing, and publishing or disseminating” whatever the White House wants them to.

Then as I was driving home, listening to baseball news on ESPN radio, I heard that “even President Obama was asked about Alex Rodriguez” and his admission of steriod use. The president was asked about A-Rod? The night before a vote on a 900 page spending plan nobody has completely read, and crucial international situations in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mexico – a professional journalist actually wasted national TV time asking about A-Rod? According to the transcript, Michael Fletcher of the Washington Post did.

During the hour-long press conference, the President gave long answers to each inquiry, so only 14 questions were able to be asked and answered. Time ran out before another journalist could ask if Kobe Bryant passed the ball enough.

I don’t remember any White House reporter ever tossing President Bush a softball question about baseball. Which is ironic, since Bush used to own a major league team and could have handled such a question with some authority; unlike President Obama, who has never owned anything.