CNN, NYT and other outlets blocked from attending White House media briefing

[Beet]

Shame on the broadcast networks for not withdrawing alongside AP and Time and instead going in with the Republican-affiliated propagandists. They need to accept that access journalism isn't going to work over the next four tears. Not that it's ever a good thing in a democracy for media to be cozy with those in power.

Access journalism will work fine. It's just being ramped up to the next level.

The usual approach is to pretend that you're not a toady and that quid pro quos are not influencing coverage. Trump's adminstration has made it clear that this pretense is not to be maintained. Maybe not a great loss compared to the fawning White House journalism of the Obama era, but that's assuming that the major media outlets refuse to accommodate.

The pretense will be maintained just fine. Breitbart and the Washington Times will claim they're not toadies and that quid pro quos are not influencing coverage. They may not have as much credibility with people who don't matter, but that would be only a derivative effect.

[ApatheticAustrian]

BB is in fact the official PR machine of the administration...i think no one could doubt that.

by comparison, the washington times is quite critical.

[Beet]

One more thing, I'm not fan of the corporate controlled media. This is disturbing because of what it says about how far the administration is willing to use its government powers to pressure for the kind of speech they like, not because the people who created Trump and Trumpism aren't getting what they deserve.

[GLPman]

This absurd action should scare the s*** out of everyone.

[Wiz in Wis]

On the one hand, this clearly underscores how little this administration cares about freedom of the press. On the other, in contrast to the more macabre interpretations, I read this as just standard Nixonian paranoia and petulance. If anything, CNN/NYT/Politico will become more antagonistic, will dig deeper, will find more dirt... NBC/CBS/WaPo will circle the wagons in solidarity, and moderate GOPers will have to account for it during town halls and in interviews.

I mean... who won in 1974: Nixon or the Press?

I honestly don't understand why the Trump admin thinks that, long term, this will redound to their benefit. They are constantly digging their metaphorical graves deeper and deeper.

[EnglishPete]

On the one hand, this clearly underscores how little this administration cares about freedom of the press. On the other, in contrast to the more macabre interpretations, I read this as just standard Nixonian paranoia and petulance. If anything, CNN/NYT/Politico will become more antagonistic, will dig deeper, will find more dirt... NBC/CBS/WaPo will circle the wagons in solidarity, and moderate GOPers will have to account for it during town halls and in interviews.

I mean... who won in 1974: Nixon or the Press?

I honestly don't understand why the Trump admin thinks that, long term, this will redound to their benefit. They are constantly digging their metaphorical graves deeper and deeper.

Yes, I know its awful

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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=6156794

Oh no wait, that's Obama.

"The press" doesn't just mean a few big corporate media outlets. 'the press' includes newspapers, TV stations, websites, blogs, social media accounts (twitter, facebook, youtube etc), blogs, messages boards everything.

Trump has just taken away a few privileges from a small number of media corporations that form a small part of 'the press'. The loss of privilege is not the same thing as oppression. they're still free to criticise him as much as they like, and they do.

[Attorney General & PPT Dwarven Dragon]

It's kind of funny to see Trump kick CNN out of this or that, but then, when it suits him, turn to their content for a boost (first clip is from CNN): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HVQRDiN1yI

Also this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf14TE74MVg

[Fusionmunster]

Self-inflicted wounds. Trump must be running the most incompetent administration in the last 100 years.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

On the one hand, this clearly underscores how little this administration cares about freedom of the press. On the other, in contrast to the more macabre interpretations, I read this as just standard Nixonian paranoia and petulance. If anything, CNN/NYT/Politico will become more antagonistic, will dig deeper, will find more dirt... NBC/CBS/WaPo will circle the wagons in solidarity, and moderate GOPers will have to account for it during town halls and in interviews.

I mean... who won in 1974: Nixon or the Press?

I honestly don't understand why the Trump admin thinks that, long term, this will redound to their benefit. They are constantly digging their metaphorical graves deeper and deeper.

I mostly agree. The prime motivator is Trump's weak but vast ego, and his inner circle's desire to baby it.

But just because dictatorial actions are being taken for stupid and petty reasons doesn't make them less dictatorial.

Spicer's statment last December was fair - what he and his boss are doing now is deeply anti-democratic and is the action of a dictator, not an elected head of state.

As for the long-term impacts, to the GOP and the country, I don't think Trump and his cabal know or care. They're simultaneously drunk on power and in far over their heads. So they're going to flail around hurting everything until the Trump regime is finally ended by the Huge Leader getting ousted or dying.

[GoTfan]

Remember, Nixon called Woodward and Bernstein the enemy.

There's a reason why he didn't last 8 years.

[The_Doctor]

Most conservatives would whine if a Democratic Presidency sidelined conservative media from the White House. However this isn't necessarily a huge deal. They can still break news and scandals on the White House, which is a key component of a free media. People will continue leaking to them.

Trump needs to be challenged rigorously and pushed back on his initiatives, like all presidents. There's also a huge opposition that will check Trump and there's a lot of things to check Trump still. Remember the fact is Trump lost the popular vote and the opposition to him is deep and significant. And somehow the Trump people are idiots who forget the Democrats will one day have congressional subpoena powers within this Administration's lifetime.

I would be a lot more worried if Trump had won 55% and his opposition was fringe instead of 45-52% of the country.

I am not so worried because the behavior demonstrated by Trump still is an politically weak presidency. They're trying to play against fundamentals and it won't work. Its a healthy sign everything Trump does faces opposition. The media will be fine and will outlast the Trump Administration.

[EnglishPete]

Some great points from Joel Pollak

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http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/02/24/fake-news-media-outrage-white-house-exclusion/

For CNN it really seems that the loss of privilege feels like oppression.

[ApatheticAustrian]

cnn has complained about the treatment of fox......and fox about the treatment of cnn.

[skoods]

Anyone defending this is a creep and not a true American.