Edition: 062617 – Words: 1807 – Audio: N/A

CNN used their court artist at a recent Spicer “closed” press conference .
We all know Right-Wing Conservatives (is there even a left-wing?) guard with their lives the Second Amendment more than any other amendment. But for the rest of us who don’t have itchy trigger fingers there is the lowly First Amendment.. freedom of speech and the press. Being a news junkie and a firm believer that the mainstream press is as close as we can get to balanced reporting (you have to use some critical thinking to get the rest of the way there because even the MSM can get carried away… in other words, you need to fill in the logical gaps yourself) , I’ve been watching the growing confrontation between the MSM and the Administration at the press conferences lately.
For those of you just tuning in to this “new” Trump thing… over the months Trump and his ilk have been moaning about the mainstream press never reporting the good things the Administration is doing each and every day to make America great again. Rather, the liberal-controlled (who is actually the head liberal that does all the controlling?) mainstream press (CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Washington Post, etc…) is in some grand conspiracy to only report the negatives about the Trump administration. Trump and his people much prefer Fox, MSNBC, and the other Conservative networks and press because they constantly praise the Trumpian advances in making America great again… while pointing the finger that all the ills that have befallen this country (apparently they made a list.. and I guess I am supposed to be suffering) have been caused by Obama, the Clintons, and all the liberals since the Founding Fathers.
So, given the White House press conferences have been nothing but the MSM networks and print reporters asking questions that poor Spicer can’t answer or prefers to sidestep, and that poor Spicer has been made a laughing stock on SNL, and after reaching the conclusion that the MSM reporters are just grand standing for the cameras, cameras and video, and up until today, live audio as well, has been prohibited in the press conferences.
Leading up to these recent prohibitions, Press Secretary Spicer began shunning the MSM reporters during the Q&A exchanges; certain network media was not called on to ask questions. In fact, I learned today that there is a front row network reporter that has not been called on since April. Of course, Fox and other conservative media reporters have often been called. As of the recent camera & audio prohibitions the shunning of that nasty MSM has still continued (yeah, punish those bastards!).
CNN is my preferred news, although I do flip to the other networks,, NBC, CBS, ABC on occasion. CNN’s chief White House correspondent is Jim Acosta. He has really gotten personally incensed over the Administration’s apparent stance on trying to control the press by only favoring the reporters from favorable mediums to the Administration. While many other shunned reporters share Acosta’s feelings, apparently few have been so incensed, at least in public. CNN has given Acosta camera time to vent.. or rather, report… and he has indeed kept his reporting professional. But his vehement discontent over this bit of Trump shenanigans (there has been so many…) is very obvious; presenting the lack of freedom of the press and transparency.
Today’s press conference included audio.. but again no cameras. As the questions got underway Spicer gave pretty much his typical non-answers as answers to most questions.
Here is the entire Q&A…
http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/06/26/sean-spicer-wont-answer-off-camera-briefings-question-acosta-nr.cnn
Part of the way through the session Acosta asked Spicer why the cameras were not allowed on. He even asked Spicer if he could turn on the cameras. Spicer ignored him… and Acosta kept it up a few more times. Spicer still ignored him.. calling on others. After a time, Acosta again repeated his barrage until another reporter also chimed in… asking Spicer to put this to rest and move on. Spicer then answered saying that it was their prerogative to set the press room parameters and that the President himself indicated as much in some obscure comments a while back.
CNN let Acosta have a little more air time with his reporting of the latest press conferences or news gaggles over the last couple weeks. He’s used the extra minute or so to include his feelings about the President trying to control the press, the President ignoring freedom of the press and transparency, the idea that the President is trying to put a lid on “bad” news reporting, and that this behavior by a president is.. unprecedented… and in effect defrauding the American people from getting information by attempting to limit freedom of the press.
While each of the CNN network anchors included Acosta’s reporting and opinion on their shows in the last couple weeks, they seemed to echo the “good” CNN family reply in editorial agreement with Acosta.… but there was a noticeable lack of… empathetic enthusiasm. On Don Lemon’s show this evening, after listening to Acosta’s report of today’s conference, at least Lemon asked him the same questions I was thinking… “Why didn’t you just turn on the cameras anyway? What would they have done?”; “Why aren’t more of the other reporters chiming in during these sessions with you about ‘no cameras’?” While Acosta could not answer too easily the question about support from other reporters… he agreed in substance the concept of all the reporters just turning on their cameras together in a unified show of defiance. But Acosta said that there is a parent press organization that has been working behind the scenes with the President to reduce the restrictions. Bottom line… the best might be yet to come in a future press conference.
Because I watch CNN a lot I have been following this over the weeks, Acosta’s reporting, etc. It’s been rather interesting watching this unfold. Now, it would be very easy for someone with my open dissent against Trump to just jump on Acosta’s bandwagon and cry it as yet another piece of Trump idiocy and his inability to take criticism… and attempting to strike down our First Amendment rights. But there’s a couple sides to this, based on my observation.
- Regarding Acosta’s passion for freedom of the press at press conferences… I have to think that some upper-echelon boss over Acosta at CNN is watching him… cautiously. Maybe there is this looming idea that’s it’s never really good when the press themselves become the news story. The reason the other reporters might be appearing tepid in their open support with Acosta is for just that reason, along with the idea that whatever Trump does, for now they are still in the room, in a chair.. and able to ask the questions… in spite of not typically getting any answers from Spicer, or anyone else in the Administration. I am sure in spirit all the reporters in that room agree with Acosta… but openly they are thinking it could be much worse. Some boss at CNN is going to tell him to cool it down a notch or two. We may never know… unless he cools his reporting of future conferences. If he does go maverick and flips on the cameras, I think he’s done being a White House correspondent.. either by Spicer pulling his credentials or a CNN boss reassigning him. But I do not sense there will be any ground swell of public.. or even professional, support for his demonstrative and defiant efforts.
- Somewhere in my vast personal archives I have a video recording of one of Kennedy’s first press conferences. He started these things, hence, he had to give some permission to the press regarding operating parameters and whether video cameras would be permitted. In spite of the press conferences being a tradition and the White House press corps has established their own pecking order and professional routines for coverage over the decades since Kennedy, it still seems to me that the President, or his Press Secretary, can call the shots at these affairs… even to the point of discriminating who’s questions they will take. There is nothing in anyone’s rule book that stipulates press conferences being mandatory. Now, quite obviously, when a candidate runs for office they will proudly proclaim an open and transparent administration and the first display of that is continuing the open press conferences… and a press corps to follow the president around the world. Now, the Press Secretary can indeed pull a reporter’s press pass. But in this case, Trump.. or Spicer.. or someone else (likely, because Trump or Spicer couldn’t think this through) is being careful not to cause a stir by removing the press credentials of the “bad” press. Better to keep them around to quell any possible public outcry.. and just ignore them. If anyone attempts to flip on the cameras… the Administration doesn’t look so bad pulling the press pass on some “unruly” reporter.
- The public doesn’t seem to give a damn about any of this, hence… no public support. Besides, there’s way too much else going on in Trump World getting public attention. Information and conflict overload. I don’t one bit attribute this to Trump’s.. um, genius? He’s a buffoon. Situation just got this bad is all… and is out of control.
- What about the apparent loss of a free press at the White House? Think of a time before Kennedy… when reporters broadcasted their stories, published their stories, all without a session in the White House. If the press wants to battle the integrity and non-transparency of the White House they should do it the one way they know how… report what they can, using any sources they can. But continue to strive for accuracy. As for Acosta… he has to move to the beat of his own drummer, like we all do. You never know.. he might come out on top. But unlike Trump… you have to take responsibility for your own actions, good or bad.
In the meantime, Trump is playing with the press, and by doing so is attempting to sway what is being reported to the American people. Whether the press is good or bad is NOT for him to say, as president. It’s up to the public to measure the value of a free press. It’s also not up to any president to try and control press access and questions like some control freak ignoramus (I was careful not to say “fascist” because Trump doesn’t know what that means). The scary part is that he has some butthead supporters who likely are thrilled that he is doing this to the “damned liberal mainstream press”; the hell with freedom of the press, anyway. “But you messin’ wit our Second Amendment.. just watch out! We gots the NRA!”
Yet another reason to send him packing.
Carry On,America.
I use to care about press meetings at WH….now I do not care about them for Spicer and the broad are boring and have NO useful info….I think they have become a waste of time and energy. I like what you have said….”go back to the days when you reported the facts and the info of the day.” (paraphrase) His supporters will believe what they want regardless of the facts….we have seen that time and time again…..chuq
Rather like an episode of Seinfeld.. much ado about nothing.
EXACTLY! Have a ducky day….chuq
We rarely have such televised ‘briefings’ here, so I think that the lack of someone blithering on about Trump (or any president) is to be welcomed. They are not going to tell the truth anyway, so there’s little point.
However, by excluding some networks (including the BBC on occasion) and favouring others, this administration is on a slippery slope to selective censorship.
Best wishes, Pete.
Good observation as always, Pete. Makes one wonder.. why bother?
Frankly, government officials hold press conferences to get out their version of the story. Because CNN has been blatantly adversarial, except as a punching bag, the Trump administration has no use for it. It is kind of silly to expect it to be otherwise, this has nothing to do with the freedom of the press. CNN is not being shut down; it is being ignored.
While CNN was the center of this particular post given the exchange, or rather non-exchange, between Spicer and Acosta, the whole issue was the apparent demonstration by the administration that if the mainstream press is going to be hostile then the cameras and/or audio can just be turned off.. as some sort of punishment. Or better put, the administration wants only their news… thus trying to influence what’s reported to the public; which is the accusation the administration is making regarding the mainstream press not reporting what it thinks is good news.
Here’s the thing.. and it has nothing to do with being liberal. Trump won because his supporters liked his maverick, non-traditional, upset-the-apple-cart, drain-the-swamp-of-elites approach toward running the country. So now this contrary guy is running things his own way… his supporters love to see the “other side” squirming and running around like cockroaches when the light is turned on. You expect the other side to just sit back and enjoy all the tumultuous chaos, conflict, and non-traditional presidential performance and not say a word of protest? Everything this guy is doing is contrary to traditional norm. You expect the other side to keep quiet?
To the extent there is any “punishment”, it is from not taking questions from journalists with a political agenda. So what? The Trump administration does not have any Constitutional requirement to provide a stage for its adversaries in the news media.
It is a fact that 90 percent of journalists vote Democrat. This “resistance” thing is pure politics. The only serious gripe the news media has with Trump is that he is not a Democrat. Thank the Lord!
Is Trump something of a showboat? I suppose so, but he also is a decent leader and manager. Set aside your political disagreements and your style issues for a moment. Seriously consider the following questions. Has Trump overcome huge opposition? Has Trump broken any laws? Is he making an effort to keep his promises to his supporters? Has he been effective moving his agenda? Is your only substantive complaint the fact he did not run as a Democrat and adopt the so-called Progressive agenda?
Instead of watch CNN, try getting a dose of news from the few Conservatives that are out there. Look at Trump’s tweets for yourself. Visit whitehouse.gov. If you do, I suspect you will find out that Trump is not as crazy as CNN.
Tom… it’s refreshing having a dialog with a conservative willing to dialog, rather than just screaming the conservative way is the only way (even though you might believe that inside 🙂
Just an observation that’s more rhetorical… if 90% of the media votes democratic why is that? Now, truly, I don’t believe that just because 90% of the people jump off a cliff that I think I should follow them. But things happen for a reason. We can even go so far as looking at the current polls and seeing he’s got only a 35% approval rating. Why are all these folks not liking the President’s performance? Would you be suggesting everyone is brainwashed by the media?
Let’s explore your questions.. and thanks for addressing them my way.
You asked…
“Has Trump overcome huge opposition? Has Trump broken any laws? Is he making an effort to keep his promises to his supporters? Has he been effective moving his agenda?”
Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and presume there is nothing illegal revealed from any of the investigations. Every question you asked here I could easily admit he is doing that as successfully (or not) at this point as most any new president. But, my friend, a measure of a president is far more than just the elements you are suggesting are of some overriding importance here.
You have said that Trump is a decent leader and manager. I’ve been a professional manager, businessman, and I am degreed just like him. But I find NO evidence that he is a team building good manager. In fact, I am of the ilk that if you have to fire someone for performance then the employer has messed up, likely as much as the employee. This “You’re fired!” crap it TV theater because every firing reflects a failure in management. Now, of course I am not billionaire big shot… but it doesn’t mean I am any less experienced than he is. Perhaps you can isolate in what ways you feel he shines in these areas?
One thing seems very obvious.. with the White House is a relative chaotic quandary of internal divisiveness and the huge numbers of appointment needing to be made to get government moving along, he’s not displaying much talent at team building.
Thoughts?
@Doug
I had my reply button composed last night, but I managed to send it to the bit bucket instead of posting it. So it was time for bed.
Note that the “post comment” disappeared with the comment grew a bit long. Not sure what that is about.
This morning I discovered that your blog would not accept my comment. So I tried this short one.
Here is the complete comment. => https://citizentom.com/2017/07/06/john-adams-on-nullification/#comment-74838