Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple writes today on the lack of access for some reporters in some areas of the White House.
He quotes one reporter as saying, “It should be a big thing for us in this country: How to hold officeholders accountable if we’re not able to question them?”
As with previous controversies about White House credentials and access, I am flabbergasted at our determination not to talk about the massive other controls on press access, for physical entry and for contacts with people, in Washington and across the country.
Below is part of my letter to Wemple and about 280 White House correspondents.
"Regarding the article, 'Some White House Reporters Object to Exclusion from Biden Events:'
"A number of agencies including HHS have no credentialling system for reporters’ access and they ban all staff from talking to the press without oversight by authorities/PIOs. The system on its face prohibits confidential communications and it means many reporters’ supplications for contact are blocked, deliberately or otherwise.
"Should we not talk about this? Is it just too big a part of our culture now, after 30-40 years of this tightening? Should journalists just assume whatever sources we get are enough?
"As just one example, over two years into the pandemic with catastrophic missteps and at least six million dead, nearly all the 11,000 or so employees at CDC are essentially silenced…..
"We told the New York Times recently, “The press should not be taking the risk of assuming that what we get is all there is when so many people are silenced. We should be openly fighting these controls.”
"The next catastrophe is coming. We need for journalists to stand up on this.
"I’d be happy to talk to anyone."
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