W H Press Office approves first blog press pass for Monday’s gaggl2

[MelissaB]

White House Press Office approves first blog press pass for Monday’s gaggle

Blogger gets first White House press pass

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

The contributing editor for Washington media blog FishBowlDC will attend Monday’s White House press gaggle, and the New York Times will splash a story Monday, RAW STORY has learned.

Garrett M. Graff, a 23-year-old Harvard graduate, was finally approved by the White House after some five days of calls. Ultimately, Graff says he believes he was finally given a day pass after the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association intervened. He is the first known blogger to be admitted to the White House press corps.

“I think it was the attention of the mainstream press that caused people to pay attention within the White House,” he said. “USA Today was interested in writing a story about it so they started calling. And then Ron Hutchinson, from Knight Ridder, who is the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, raised the issue with the White House on Thursday.”

“It ended up being a very frustrating process,” Graff continued. “What was frustrating about it to me was that it was sort of needlessly bureaucratic. I never at any point actually got a chance to speak to anyone and make my case for whether I should be admitted or not.

More: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=155

[Liberty Belle]

1. Graff worked for Howard Dean. Yeeeeeeah!

This is a very big deal. Not only has a liberal-leaning blogger been given a White House press pass, but this also bolsters upcoming legal arguments that bloggers deserve the same protections as print journalists. After all, if bloggers are part of the elite White House press corps, then surely they deserve the same rights as, say, a local community newspaper.

There has been talk of clamping down on bloggers to prevent them from linking to political campaign sites under the argument that this violates McCain-Feingold restrictions. I think the WH just helped bloggers bolster their legal arguments. Way to go, Shrub and crew!

Nominated for home page. This is such good news, everyone should get to read it.

[MelissaB]

2. Hot damn!

I didn't know that. Thanks!

[lasttrip]

4. great point about the protection/legal issue.

will he get a chance to actually ask questions?
thanx for the Dean info!

[Eloriel]

3. Bwaaahahaha - Painted themselves right into that little corner

didn't they?

"Oh, Gannon got a daily pass just like anyone else can get one."

and

"It's hard to tell these days just who is and who is not a journalist."

Bwaahahahahahaa. I LOVE It.

[riverwalker]

5. Ron Hutchinson

President of WHCA sent me a really nasty, snotty reply to my email about Gannon. LOL. I think many of us were writing to him and
I think he was feeling the heat.
This is great!

[stevedeshazer]

8. Care to share?

C'mon, dish!

[tuvor]

6. A press "gaggle" isn't as big a deal as a briefing, correct?

How do the two compare? I know, for example that they never webcast the gaggles on the White House website. Transcripts only. And (ironically) they're very...brief.

[Stephanie]

7. The gaggle is actually more intimate

The gaggle is in the morning, in McClellan's office, with the few. The day's agenda is announced, a few issues are tossed around, and everyone adjourns until the afternoon press conference.

Correct me if I am wrong - this is my understanding.

[tuvor]

10. You may be right.

I'm just going by what I recall reading on the White House's site.

Thanks very much for the information.

[lonestarnot]

9. Hmmmm... This interesting. Wonder what the deal is for sure...Why now?

Is this so we let the Gannon/ Guckert, Gucky thing die?

[Just Me]

11. ,...and/or attempting to recoup lost credibility (as usual).

Wow. This is pretty interesting, though!!!

[Selteri]

12. White House Approves Pass for Blogger

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/07/technology/07press.html


Another signal moment for bloggers is to occur this morning, when Garrett M. Graff, who writes a blog about the news media in Washington, is to be ushered into the White House briefing room to attend the daily press "gaggle."

Mr. Graff, 23, may be the first blogger in the short history of the medium to be granted a daily White House pass for the specific purpose of writing a blog, or Web log. A White House spokesman said yesterday that he believed Mr. Graff was the first blogger to be given credentials.

He is being given a press pass as the editor of FishbowlDC (www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc), a blog that is published by Mediabistro.com, which offers networking and services for journalists.

Increasingly, bloggers are penetrating the preserves of the mainstream news media. They have secured seats on campaign planes, at political conventions and in presidential debates, and have become a driving force in news events themselves.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I'm really unsure what to think about this, does anyone have any experience with this man or his Blog?

http://mediabistro.com/

I haven't used them at all.

[theorist]

13. Rawstory did an interview with Graff.

Some of it is in this article:

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=155

[fleabert]

16. here's a snip from that article...interesting.

i don't know anything else about him, but this tidbit bodes well...

"Graff noted that he had worked for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign"

[Liberty Belle]

25. He promised not to ask a question?I! Then what's the point?

[xultar]

14. Well one thing is for sure, If this administration gave him a pass he's

got to be a rw hack.

straight up!

[theorist]

18. Actually, the site is nonpartisan.

Part of the process is proving that the news outlet is not a partisan one. AMERICABlog, Rawstory, and Crooks & Liars (a few of the most left-leaning blogs on the web) have been following this story pretty closely. All three have been behind FishbowlDC's efforts to gain access to the WH Press Corps, so they must believe that Graff is qualified enough to be there.

[Selteri]

19. If you say so, the main site seems pretty RW leaning. NT

[fleabert]

20. this is the 'about' section on Graff...

About FishbowlDC

FishbowlDC is a gossip blog that focuses on D.C. media. It is written by Garrett Graff.

Garrett Graff is vice president of communications at EchoDitto, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based technology consulting firm. A Vermont native, he served formerly as deputy national press secretary on Howard Dean's presidential campaign and, beginning in 1997, was then-Governor Dean's first webmaster. In college, he was a news writer and executive editor at the Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's daily newspaper, where he wrote more news articles than any other writer in half-a-century and held internships at ABCNews' Political Unit and at the Atlantic Monthly. He is also a frequent speaker on blogging and the intersection of politics and technology.

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/about/about_fishbowldc.asp

[xultar]

21. I didn't say he wasn't qualified I said he was a RW hack.

Like Brit Hume is a RW hack, Novakula is a RW Hack.

[theorist]

23. Novakula. I like that that.

A friend of mine uses "Butt Fume" for Brit Hume, too.

Well, I guess I should clarify the "qualified" comment. I'm guessing, and I don't think I'm going out on a limb here, that the WH has tightened up on letting in web-based journalists and will use the excuse that anyone they don't like is just "not qualified".

I think most of the mainstream hacks and their compatriots would be immune from this kind of thing, so I meant "for a web-based journalist, he's qualified". Hell. He may be a hack, but the left-wing bloggers seem to like him. (Not that it would be a good thing if he were a LW hack.... eh.)

[Liberty Belle]

26. He's a former Howard Dean press secretary, actually.

[MADem]

15. What's the name of his blog? The big stick???

Hot DC interns? E-Z Money???

Sounds like a great choice...a 23 year old kid? John Avarosis has more age, more experience, more clout, and he hasn't gotten his pass yet.

I love the "ushering in" shit they put in this piece. Wonder how much in the way of "ushering" that JimmyJeff got? Bet he got a better, freer run of the place than Barney!!!

(And I cannot resist this remark, sorry...)
Probably peed on the same Bushes, too!!!

[americanstranger]

22. He got the pass because he went to the WH to get one.

Aravosis didn't. simple as that.

Doesn't matter. They won't call on him anyway.

-as

[Rose Siding]

17. So they've distinguished him from Gannon as a "blogger"?

Will that be the excuse for making him wait four days to clear him? It was only because USA Today and another main stream org asked them about it that they agreed anyway. Who paved the way for Gannon?

Doesn't media bistro publish articles the way the site Gannon worked for did?

[ClintonTyree]

44. Right, Gannon was nothing but a blogger himself..............

so now they've admitted 2 bloggers. One got to ask a lot of questions, but I doubt the other will be afforded the same courtesy.

[Liberty Belle]

24. Garrett Graff's Bio: Looks good!

About FishbowlDC
FishbowlDC is a gossip blog that focuses on D.C. media. It is written by Garrett Graff.

Garrett Graff is vice president of communications at EchoDitto, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based technology consulting firm. A Vermont native, he served formerly as deputy national press secretary on Howard Dean's presidential campaign and, beginning in 1997, was then-Governor Dean's first webmaster. In college, he was a news writer and executive editor at the Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's daily newspaper, where he wrote more news articles than any other writer in half-a-century and held internships at ABCNews' Political Unit and at the Atlantic Monthly. He is also a frequent speaker on blogging and the intersection of politics and technology.

[dandrhesse]

27. good I hope all the bloggers jump on it and ask for passes and continue

to report the results.

[Poppyseedman]

28. People, this is a set up.

The door has been opened, first guy in is a former Dean campaign worker. ???

How many coming in behind will be right wingers???

Plausible denial. I can hear it now

"You liberals got first crack at it, now shut up. Never mind the 10 other conservative right wing bloggers that come in behind the guy who first walked in" Blah, blah, blah.

We consistently underestimate Bushco

[sabra]

29. NYT: White House Approves Pass for Blogger

<<SNIP>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/07/technology/07press.html

White House Approves Pass for Blogger
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Published: March 7, 2005


nother signal moment for bloggers is to occur this morning, when Garrett M. Graff, who writes a blog about the news media in Washington, is to be ushered into the White House briefing room to attend the daily press "gaggle."

Mr. Graff, 23, may be the first blogger in the short history of the medium to be granted a daily White House pass for the specific purpose of writing a blog, or Web log. A White House spokesman said yesterday that he believed Mr. Graff was the first blogger to be given credentials.

He is being given a press pass as the editor of FishbowlDC (www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc), a blog that is published by Mediabistro.com, which offers networking and services for journalists.

Increasingly, bloggers are penetrating the preserves of the mainstream news media. They have secured seats on campaign planes, at political conventions and in presidential debates, and have become a driving force in news events themselves.

<</SNIP>>

[sabra]

30. bugmenot

jimmie
jimmie

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

31. I Think He's Conservative. Anyone Else Have An Opinion? n/t

[w13rd0]

32. Doesn't matter...

...it took a lot of effort for him to get the pass, and we KNOW it was only given because they HAD to in order to keep from looking like they were lapping at Gannons nasty bits.

[americanstranger]

38. The guy worked on the Dean campaign.

Does that make him a conservative?

-as

[AndrewJacksonFaction]

33. They got wind of this and are letting him in

It was posted here earlier that these same people "FishBowl DC" were seeing how hard it was to get a press pass from the white house. The white house got wind of this test and said sure let them in. It negates the fact of Gannon/Guckert being given "special" access. Very sneaky, but you have to get up pretty early to fool this old yellow dog.

[NYC]

37. That's what I believe.

[Imagevision]

34. Brad's Blog -- Fair and Balanced - The White would install

they're own Blogger=person anyway...why not? -- that's where Gannon made his entrance-- Mr. Graff 23 most likely another Rove hand-me-down.

[Imagevision]

35. I'm hoping the Blos will replace the so-called msm -- From..

Rater on down, Fox is fair and balanced -- CNN is the nost trusted news source? -- I say how credible is the american media anymore...the times have simply changed -- if they can bullsh*t you -- screw you ? they will

By now we should have a blogging agency, headed up by umm...Sy Hersh let's say...wishful thinking?

[merwin]

36. It's their sad attempt at justifying the Gannon/Guckert scandal.

[DoYouEverWonder]

41. I see it has an excuse

to let their plants like Gannon back in the WH.

[deacon]

39. Hmm, well, #1 it is to ease their pain about gannon, #2 it underminds the

MSM, so this is some type of chess move, With gannon as the main reason for this, that horse is far out of the barn, so this is an odd move.

[deacon]

40. MSM will be known as "blogs lite" if this keeps up, they created this

grave though, so they have no one but to blame but themselves, with rove though, you can never trust him, so maybe that is his inttention also, to keep undermining the press this using this tactic.

[pearl]

42. This is one of our allies

Their attempt to get a day pass was featured on America Blog; John A.
But I'll have to check a little bit more. Still, it tells the
MSM we're on the case, if they're not.

[chomskysright]

43. YES! let the bloggers create the news! we do already!