Gibbs: White House proposed end to anonymous administration sourcing

[babylonsister]

Sounds like the press corpse didn't take the deal. Maybe that's why access has been limited.


Gibbs: White House proposed end to anonymous administration sourcing
By Tony Romm - 04/18/10 11:32 AM ET


Press Secretary Robert Gibbs approached White House reporters earlier this year in an attempt to end the long-standing practice of sourcing claims to anonymous administration officials, he told CNN on Sunday.

During that meeting with the press corps, Gibbs offered correspondents a no-background policy, in which the White House would only give on-the-record interviews if reporters promised not to cite unnamed sources, he explained to host Howard Kurtz in an interview on "Reliable Sources."

"I think we could all put what we want to say to the American people and to the news media all on the record," he said. "I've offered to end it. But it's got to be a two-way street."

The news arrives as tensions between the White House and its devoted correspondents are growing, in part because of the minimal access they had to last week's Nuclear Security Summit. Those reporters recently sat down with Gibbs to share their concerns in a meeting that lasted well over an hour.

Still, background sourcing is something of a staple in Washington journalism: Most administrations decline to comment on stories generated from tips offered by anonymous sources. However, those stories often shed light into scandals, mistakes, political moves or policy processes that would otherwise remain unknown to the public.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/92895-gibbs-wh-proposed-end-to-anonymous-sourcing

[gateley]

1. "...in part because of the minimal access they had to last week's

Nuclear Security Summit."

Maybe THAT'S why there wasn't much coverage -- we were all complaining about it and criticizing the media.

[Cha]

2. "devoted correspondents"? The US corporatemedia

is the one that needs to change. Whenever I see "anonymous sources" I don't believe it and even when something is attributed to someone specifically I check multiple sources to find out if it's accurate.

How about no one in the White House speaking to the media unless it's on record and when they quote anonymous sources that will be the red flag for "we lie"? Which I already put to use.

Corporatemedia has no credibility at all.

[Hutzpa]

3. The problem is when you

have nearly quarter of the masses frothing at the mouth on lies it then becomes a major problem.

Especially when media entity as faux news ready to propagate on these lies without fact checking.

[lunatica]

4. Oh please! It's a well known practice that the Whitehouse uses

the 'anonymous sources' to get things out to the press and always has.

I pisses me off when they insult my intelligence.

[babylonsister]

5. Could be, but it's interesting that no one is defending themselves.

They wish to remain anonymous, they're not in the WH press corps, or some other reason?

[Cha]

6. This White House is different and I trust them over

anyone in the so called "media"whoredom.. They definetly don't try to insult our intelligence.

[Clio the Leo]

7. They are driving me BONKERS with their "we aren't getting formal briefings!" outrage...

.... and, as I keep saying, the LAST one he had ... July of last year ... the ONLY thing the press talked about was cop-gate ... despite the problems with the economy and the HCR battle.

The notion of "gotcha" journalism is the ONLY thing that Palin woman is right about. All the briefings are are a game of "who can trip up the President." He is currently averaging about one appearance on the network news shows each week. For them to accuse him of ignoring the press is a steaming pile of BS.

[Cha]

8. Thank you, Clio~!

[Empowerer]

9. And when the President was doing more press conferences,

the media whined that he was "overexposed!"

[FrenchieCat]

10. Fuck the media. They have proven to being unethical and

full of lies. Far as I'm concerned, I don't believe shit they say it unless it is in quotes,
and attributed. Period.

[Hekate]

11. I'd be a lot more sympathetic if the news media hadn't acted as stenographers for Bush...

... and then decided that Obama's administration was fair game for tearing down using false equivalencies, no research, and no analysis.

That pretty much sums it up for me.

Hekate