White House threatens retaliation against SF Chronicle for posting protest video

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The White House threatened Thursday to exclude the San Francisco Chronicle from pooled coverage of its events in the Bay Area after the paper posted a video of a protest at a San Francisco fundraiser for President Obama last week, Chronicle Editor Ward Bushee said. White House guidelines governing press coverage of such events are too restrictive, Bushee said, and the newspaper was within its rights to film the protest and post the video.

The White House press office would not speak on the record about the issue.

Chronicle senior political reporter Carla Marinucci was invited by the White House to cover the Obama fundraiser on April 21 on the condition that she send her written report to the White House to distribute to other reporters who did not attend. Such "pool reports" are routinely used for press coverage at White House events that are not open to the entire press corps.

... As part of a "print-only pool," Marinucci was limited by White House guidelines to provide a print-only report, but Marinucci also took a video of the protest, which she posted in her written story on the online edition of The Chronicle at SFGate.com and on its politics blog after she sent her written pool report.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/28/MNA51J994T.DTL&tsp=1

[DJ13]

1. Is Bush still President?

:shrug:

[readmoreoften]

7. Yes, a Bush who throws voter-dogs a soup bone every now and then.

Personally, I think it's crueler. I prefer real enemies to phony friends.

[Angry Dragon]

2. ............

:shrug:


:popcorn:

[villager]

3. Wow! Just like the Nixon/Bush White Houses would do!

n/t

[whirlygigspin]

4. more sunlight needed as disinfectant

"At the St. Regis event, a group of protesters
who paid collectively $76,000 to attend interrupted Obama with a song complaining about the administration's treatment of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier who allegedly leaked U.S. classified documents to the WikiLeaks website."

$76,000

Hey Mr. President, they just gave you $76,000--let them sing their song!

2manysecrets

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. If you had any doubts left by now...........

[emilyg]

14. No doubts left.

[FLAprogressive]

6. If only he played hardball with Republicans.

[Tatiana]

8. Waiting for the apologists....

Clinton was never this bad. Whatever happened to answering to your critics (especially ones that paid a lot of $$$ to voice their concerns)?

[dreamnightwind]

9. So the WH DOES know how to play hardball

Why is it always against progressive interests when they play hardball? Anyone can punch a hippie, it takes a real man to take on a corporation. Cowards.

[EFerrari]

10. That's really stupid. The Chronicle usually supports national Democrats.

Conservative on local stuff, with the Democrats on national stuff.

[FLAprogressive]

11. The only people this administration screws over are interests that support Democrats.

They're like spouse abusers who know that the spouse they beat up is coming back.

[PufPuf23]

12. This is pathetic on part of the WH. Shameful. nt

[JDPriestly]

13. Does this present a First Amendment issue?

The newspaper was exercising its right, and the White House retaliated by denying a privilege. I'm asking a question about it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. No

There is no "right" to be a pool reporter or for the press to be admitted to private events.

That said, this is about as dumb as it gets

[demwing]

15. you know what they say..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOCCq0gjvrE&feature=related

[Poboy]

17. Wow! Recommend.

[AsahinaKimi]

18. This is just nuts...

Its not like as if the SF Chronicle is some RIGHT WING RAG...wtf is their problem?? No free speech anymore?