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Do You Want Your OTV?
May 20, 2009 5:56 PM
On April 27, President Obama welcomed the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies, who had just won the NCAA women's basketball championship.
After the event, President Obama went to the White House basketball court to shoot hoop with the Lady Huskies. The White House press corps was not allowed to attend.
Reads the print pool report from that day: "After shaking hands with the team's parents and members of Congress who showed up, the president walked the team over to his basketball court and shot hoops. The pool was held back from the stroll down the drive and around the corner, and couldn't see the court. Poolers could hear periodic cheering coming from the other side of the bushes."
Read the TV pool report: "Your Pool was not allowed to go over and shoot POTUS with the team shooting hoops. We protested loudly."
Now we know why: Obama White House officials decided to do their own media report on the visit, complete with cuts, interviews, and chyrons identifying who's speaking.
Also, just like a network, they have their own little logo!
Cute!
It's perfectly fine, of course, for the White House to put out its own version of events -- but is it right to do so by preventing actual reporters from covering something? (Even something like a pickup basketball game).
Do Obama White House officials think their media coverage isn't flattering enough?
Is the goal to ultimately replace the pesky photographers who film what they want to and not what they're told to (not to mention the annoying reporters who ask uncomfortable questions about, say, detainee policy and bank bailouts)?
Do you want your OTV? (I'll bet there are a few takers out there.)
- jpt
May 20, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (674)
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Jake!! you're hilarious. I'm glad you guys are still allowed to think for yourselves at ABC.
Posted by: History Teacher | Jun 2, 2009 1:05:30 PM
Obama has divided the nation since the election with significant distortions from the norm that Presidents respectfully follow.
Attacks on religion, lack of respect of the military/VA benefits, lowering policemans fund for cops who die in the line of duty, refusing to meet with the Pope while visiting Rome, National Prayer Day, media manipulation and deception over TARP funding, refusing to acknowledge that the CBO report proved TARP spending was not needed but e chose to steal billions from taxpayers for special interests and earmark scams.
The list goes on and on in addition to media manipulation and the encouragement of hatred towards republicans. Threatening those who choose free speech is not Presidential!!!
Barack Hussein Obama is not the President you voted for!!!!
Posted by: JavaBRain | May 25, 2009 7:25:41 PM
This is the only president I can recall with his own logo (almost Napoleanic, the little bees, etc.). And a continuing political campaign. What happened to the saying "All I know is what I see on the news or read in the paper"? Cause there is more to the story, and more ways to find it out.
Posted by: Becky | May 25, 2009 7:00:30 PM
I find it funny that CatGut claims that the "right wing (nuts) are complaining about Obama leaving the media out. Seems to me it is the MAINSTREAM MEDIA that is complaining. Us "right wing nuts" expected no less from Obama.
Posted by: Alabama Roadrunner | May 25, 2009 12:19:34 PM
Mr. T,
Your colleagues traded their objectivity for ideology with regards to President Obama the second he finished speaking at the Democratic Convention in 2004. If a Republican President tried to pull this nonsense they would be waving copies of 1984 and screaming bloody murder in the briefing room. Face it, for at least the next four years the press has decided to abdicate it's fourth estate watchdog powers. You are quickly going to find yourself a lone wolf in this area. Did any other outlets even pick up on this story?
Posted by: aljack | May 24, 2009 4:54:36 PM
The Bush White House managed the news in its own way! The entire Press Corps was not invited to every single event without exception. In fact there was a general complaint of managed press conferences when they were held at all.
Posted by: OverReader | May 23, 2009 3:17:17 PM
Obama is his name, censorship is his game.
Posted by: Leslie | May 23, 2009 2:23:56 PM
did anyone actually watch the video? Congrats to the UConn Huskies, 39-0, National Champions!! So what that the media wasn't invited to the impromptu hoop game .... sheesh. The champs got some private time shoot hoops with the prez. It was about the team, not the media ................
Posted by: CMac | May 23, 2009 1:18:23 PM
On 5/23/09 at 9:51:24 a.m., Barry said "President Obama is expressing the will of the people as he nationalizes Wall St., the banks, the auto industry and the healthcare system." and so on. Obama for President forever!!!"
In addition to making one of the most idiotic statements I've ever seen, he ignores facts. Does he want to live in Zimbabwe where Robert Mugabe keeps a tight rein on the country, controlling businesses (what few exist), the distribution of food (many are starving), health care (for him, his family, and his trusted aides), and the news media (wait a minute, what news media??), and where life expectancy has declined by 10 years or more.
Here are the facts: I just Googled and as the voting age population numbers varied on several sites, I averaged the VAP from data from 2-3 sites:
- 216.35 million voting-age legal US citizens.
- 131,032,799 actually voted.
- 69,297,997 voted for Obama (52.886%) and
- 61,734,802 voted for the other guys
- 32.03% of eligible voters selected B. Obama to be the leader.
- 67.97% chose the other guys (and one idiot female) or didn't have enough sense/gumption/whatever to vote at all.
Posted by: AzaleaLover | May 23, 2009 12:28:05 PM
Why did they only interview the white male coach? Three female assitants and one who is black were not interviewed. If you have time to complain you can make an issue out of anything. Ask yourselves, what are you doing right now to make this country stronger? Complaining and making up nonsense conspiracies isn't the answer.
Posted by: Michael | May 23, 2009 12:04:46 PM
Apparently only the black players get interviewed.
Posted by: Joe | May 23, 2009 11:57:30 AM
The media had it's chance to ask tough question before the election, it's too late now, Obama has his own reporters and station and he can call on who he wants, answer what questions he wants, and have Gibbs spin it like he wants. Too late, yall are history. We have a new dictator thanks to yall.
Posted by: Lynn | May 23, 2009 10:11:19 AM
President Obama is expressing the will of the people as he nationalizes Wall St., the banks, the auto industry and the healthcare system. When they voted for him they voted for enhanced government control of the greedy capitalist businesses. It is only right and proper that he also nationalize the newspapers, radio and television stations. Doing so will make sure that the truth that Obama speaks with every word from his mouth will make it to the people without the interference and distortion of the racist, white oligarchs who currently control the nation's news media. We, the people, need and want President Obama to control the news we hear so that our minds will not be polluted by the hateful message of the racist, white, media oligarchs. Power to Obama *means* power to the people! Obama for President forever!!!
Posted by: Barry | May 23, 2009 9:51:24 AM
He's taking back the media. A lesson learned from the successful media strategies of former President Bush.
Posted by: Mabel Katz | May 23, 2009 9:40:44 AM
This is HORRIBLE. It is a Saturday Night Live sketch about a narcissistic dictator taking over America creating his own propaganda machine because the adoring, fawning press wasn't adoring and fawning enough. It would be very amusing if it weren't actually happening.
Obama is creating a propaganda machine to go along with the rest of his Marxist program.
REJECT Obama's propaganda machine. Call the White House. Call your representatives. Let them know this is NOT ACCEPTABLE in America.
Posted by: Cara C | May 23, 2009 9:25:26 AM
Obama or White House media??? So how exactly is that any different then the current lap dog media coalition (ABC/CBS/NBC-MSNBC-CNN)?
Posted by: richmond | May 23, 2009 8:57:38 AM
Pigs we get what pigs deserve. This man will be the death of our Republic! Impeach Obama Now!
Posted by: Jacob | May 23, 2009 8:57:10 AM
I like that, Obama spoke now I'm broke.
Posted by: Ha | May 23, 2009 8:51:41 AM
All Obama.All the time.
Posted by: dedalus1 | May 23, 2009 8:44:37 AM
It seems that most people still don't get it with Obama, they are so in love with his persona that they overlook what is happening to their country. Even the press is beginning to understand the absolute control Obama wants over the media, Well they asked for it now they have it and good luck to them. When they do wake up it will be too late to do any reporting from the Gulags. Words from the White house..."don't browse Drudge and don't listen to Limbaugh". That sounds just a little controlling to me, what say you.
Posted by: GREYFOX | May 23, 2009 8:40:59 AM
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