Bush Holds Off-the-record Sessions with Major News Organizations

[Rose Siding]

For Bush and Press, Informal Talks

President Bush has been holding informal off-the-record sessions with major news organizations over the last several days.

Starting Thursday, he began meeting with groups of about a half-dozen reporters from newspapers, television, news agencies and magazines. They have discussed a variety of issues including the war in Iraq, said a reporter who attended a session.

The meetings, which the journalists have agreed not to describe publicly, have been in the White House residence. They come as several news organizations have assigned new reporters, who had no relationship with Mr. Bush, to cover the White House.
...
The New York Times, which was invited to attend a session today, has declined to participate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/politics/28press.html

http://www.nostalgiacentral.com.nyud.net:8090/images_tv/ivegots2.jpg

[merwin]

1. Good for the Times. There's no reason to go to an 'off the record'

meeting with the President, unless it's in the pursuit of a bigger fish. In this case, he's the big fish, so it's just "catapulting the propeganda".

[Drum]

2. Loading up the catapult

Hey, I thought we were fighting propaganda over there so we wouldn't have to here!?

[madeline_con]

3. "... which the journalists have agreed not to describe publicly..."

JOURNALISTS my ASS!

[WiseButAngrySara]

4. "the journalists have agreed not to describe publicly..." That says it

all.

[peacetalksforall]

5. Sounds like he went fishing for reporters who would adore him and

kicked some others out?

[Rose Siding]

6. The WH wanted these to be secret mtgs. The Post's version-

snip>
Last week's session involved reporters from several prominent broadcast and print outlets, including ABC News and The Washington Post. Under the off-the-record ground rules, the journalists were barred from reporting what was discussed. White House officials said they also hoped the meetings' mere existence would remain under wraps. That proved impossible when journalists from The Post who were not participants in the session, as well as those at other publications, learned of the meetings from sources outside the paper and began to report on them.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan did not return messages yesterday.

Off-the-record sessions with presidents are somewhat controversial in journalism circles. Critics say reporters should not subject themselves to being influenced or "spun" under ground rules that prevent the comments from being relayed to the public. But many news organizations say the sessions give reporters a rare opportunity to observe the president up close and to gain insight into his thinking and concerns.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701659.html

[liveoaktx]

15. Then they ought to have the rare opportunity to see the President up

close and person and REPORT ON HIM.

[NanceGreggs]

7. When you're speaking as the president ...

... there is (or should not be) any such thing as 'off the record'.

That being said, there is SOMETHING I MUST KNOW re the photo in your post.

I recognize, from left to right, Gary Moore (host) and panelists Bill Cullen, Betsy Palmer, Henry Morgan - but who is the woman on the fat right?

Please respond quickly, because it's one a.m. my time, I have to get up for work in a few hours, and I CANNOT SLEEP if I don't get the answer!

Class?

Anyone?

Bueller?

[opihimoimoi]

11. looks like Annette

[NanceGreggs]

16. Too early for Annette ...

... but I do think I've got it! Is that Bess Myerson?

(I just realized I have TOTALLY given my age away by knowing who ANY of these people are. In fact, I don't recognize any of those people. It's just that my grandmother used to talk about them - yeah, that's the ticket!)

[BrklynLiberal]

13. Is it Bess Myerson?

[NanceGreggs]

17. I am VINDICATED!

Thanks, BrklynLiberal! I think we're right (see above post).

I knew I could count on a fellow Brooklynite!

[BrklynLiberal]

18. I thought it was that woman who hung out withKoch, but I could not

remember her name, so I googled "Koch and Miss America" and it came up.
:rofl:
Please don't mention how long ago that was.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. How about a list of those who attended, even tho they won't discuss

what was said?

David Bohrman, the Washington bureau chief for CNN, one of whose reporters attended a session, said they were a good idea.

"Most of the time, the environments that our reporters deal with the president in are very structured, very managed, and they rarely get to just kick back and have a conversation," he said. "I think there's a lot of value in it for both sides."

He also said he did not see the sessions as compromising. "If something pops up in there that someone wants to follow, they are free to follow up on it," he said.
<snip>

[Horse with no Name]

9. I know one thing for certain

Helen Thomas wasn't included in that circle jerk.
I wish she would teach journalists what there function in a free society is.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. "the journalists were barred from reporting what was discussed"

Say what???

What journalist would go along with this???

What's jr doing? Direct threats?

[notadmblnd]

12. Trying to smooth some feathers now is he?

Just read a short blurb on C&L about Rove and the WH backing off on blaming the press for not reporting good things about Iraq. Guess the NY Times isn't ready to kiss and makeup?

[flordehinojos]

14. he is buying them off, or their silence, which amounts the same thing.

a trait he learned from his father who used to play tennis with brit hume in the white house tennis court.

separation of church and state? how about separation of state and journalists? it is all otherwise a propaganda system.

[Rose Siding]

21. Chris Matthews would have settled for a Hershey bar

or just one look. Tears on his pillow!

Doesn't look like he'd have been in this group though.

[BrklynLiberal]

19. More manipulation of access.

[barbtries]

20. must be

catapulting the bullshit

[Joe Fields]

22. Sounds like the "Kind word and a gun" thing to me.

You know the old saying, "You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than just a kind word."

I can't help but thing there may have been more than a few vague threats to go along with that White House meeting.

[mattclearing]

23. Strategery Sessions.

He's giving them the new talking points personally.

[seabeyond]

24. they did this same thing, buy off media, behind closed doors

during the kerry campaign towards summer fall of 2004.

calling into cnn, bbq's.... paid reporters, gannon