Progressive Blog Jumps Into WH Press Pool, Conservatives Get Splashed

by Zeke Turner | 3:47 pm, October 31st, 2009

gibbs21 Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall’s bastion of investigative reporting on the web, is the newest member of the White House press pool, according to an announcement from the White House Correspondents’ Association on Friday afternoon.

TPM joins the ranks of Ebony and Salon, the web magazine, as the latest news outlets to enter the pool. The Huffington Post is still vying for a spot in the group, which affords its members privileged access to sources and the responsibility of filing pool reports that are disseminated to other journalists and account for much of the actual information gathering behind all the coverage of the president.

TPM became the first blog to win a major journalism award, The Polk Award, for uncovering the US Attorney firing scandal during the Bush years. This year TPM enjoyed an influx of capital to the tune of $500,000-plus and opened a Washington bureau.

But some conservatives are upset that a progressive blog like TPM would get increased access, especially after the recent battle between Fox News and the White House. From Politico:

“If liberals are upset that Fox News is being treated as a legitimate news organization instead of a GOP talking-points channel, then it’s mystifying that the [White House Correspondents' Association] is broadening ‘news’ media to encompass blogs and websites that raged against the Bush White House,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group.

“Would anyone seriously suggest that TPM, the Huffington Post and Salon are more objective than Fox News?” Graham asked.

It’s a fair point. But objectivity aside, TPM promises to bring cutting-edge web savvy and investigative muscle to the pool. That’s something.

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Ebony, Josh Marshall, Michael Calderone, Politico, Press Pool, Robert Gibbs, Salon, Talking Points Memo, White House, white house press pool

4 comments

Jim R says:

October 31, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Mr. Graham is understandably “‘mystified” at access for TPM and other progressive blogs, being part of a well established right wing mouthpiece like the Media Research Center.

They and their ilk conveniently avoid any substance in the reporting that “raged against the Bush White House”, likening exposing the Bush Administration criminality and incompetence to the Rupert Murdoch/Roger Ailes jihad against the first black POTUS and his policies.

What I would seriously suggest, Mr. Graham, is that before you cast aspersions on well sourced reporting from the blogs or anywhere else in your sneeringly condescending tone, that you use teh Google and show us where their reporting went astray.

The forty year old right wing Wurlitzer that covered for every criminal act Nixon, Reagan, and Bush II ever did, and wasted no opportunity to peddle the worst trash in a Republican coup against Clinton; indeed has their nerve to lecture America on what media sources to trust.

Nachi says:

November 1, 2009 at 12:00 am

Of course. The Repugs are terrified of truth, reality, anything that might cause their crude minds to actually function. Allah akbar! They thrive upon the stench of…injustice and untruths.

martinac says:

November 2, 2009 at 4:12 am

Progressive (i.e. liberal) online-only outlets Talking Points Memo, Salon and Ebony are joining the White House Press Pool. The Huffington Post will soon join as well. It wasn’t the Obama administration that approved their application to join this group; it was other reporters, through the White House Correspondents Association.

grüner tee

Kevin says:

November 2, 2009 at 8:29 pm

“The Repugs are terrified of truth, reality, anything that might cause their crude minds to actually function.”

That’s funny. We have an administrative who “attacks” anyone who disagrees with them. An administration who is afraid of an open and honest debate on healthcare, global warming, immigration or anything else on their agenda. An administration who would rather dismiss Fox News than go on and defend their agenda like an adult….waa, waa, waaa…I might have to answer tough questions. An administration who asked other networks not to report on items Fox is reporting. Why? Are they afraid of the truth? It appears your claims are misdirected. Dems are reverting to name-calling and other diversions so they won’t have to defend Obama’s agenda.

“Republican coup against Clinton”

Hillary, is that you? Obama is keeping you in the kitchen so I guess you have time to post on msg boards. We have the thinnest skinned president ever and now his followers are whining as well. Whiner-in-chief should be Obama’s title.

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