TPM joins the pool and makes a splash

[cali]

While the Obama administration engages in an ongoing battle with Fox News over its conservative ideological leanings, self-described “progressive” media outlets are increasing their presence at the White House.

The latest evidence was the announcement Friday that Talking Points Memo will become part of the White House press pool, taking its place with The Washington Post, New York Times and established newspaper companies like Scripps Howard and Tribune in ensuring a constant media presence whenever President Barack Obama goes somewhere.

TPM just opened a Washington bureau this month, and its editor, Josh Marshall, told POLITICO that the decision to join the pool was “pretty straightforward.” The decision to include it in the pool was made not by the White House but by the White House Correspondents' Association, the reporters’ group which runs the pools.

“We wanted to be one of the news organizations covering the White House,” Marshall said. “It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do to have access to the pool reports.”

Both Salon, another progressive website, based in San Francisco, and Ebony, the black-oriented magazine that endorsed a presidential candidate — Obama — for the first time in its 64-year history in 2008, joined the White House in-town press pool this year. The Huffington Post, which announced its presence in Washington when Obama twice called on its reporters at press conferences, also has plans to join the pool, according to a spokesperson for the website.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28955.html

[Buzz Clik]

1. That won't leave any room for Obama to criticize Fox anymore.

The bar has been dropped.

[many a good man]

2. Why? They're not major TV operations

The bar can never be dropped lower than Talon News.

[Buzz Clik]

3. Same bar, same place, different side of the aisle.