WHCA President Jeff Mason: White House Asked WHCA to Issue Statement Criticizing Reporter’s Article
White House Correspondents Association President Jeff Mason said at a WHCA town hall tonight that the White House had once asked that they put out a statement criticizing a report filed by one of its member organizations:
.@jeffmason1 just said the White House once asked him to release a statement criticizing an individual reporter's work. He said no
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) July 11, 2017
Mason: There have been times when WH asked me to intervene and criticize stories by other WH reporters He has refused to do so.
— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) July 11, 2017
Jeff Mason at WHCA town hall says WH once asked him to release stmt criticizing a reporters article … Mason declined
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) July 11, 2017
The Washington Post‘s Erik Wemple has more details on what Mason said at the WHCA town hall tonight:
“There have definitely been times over the last several months where the White House has come to us — often to me specifically — asking that we or I intervene and criticize a member news organization or reporter,” said Mason at an event held at the White House Historical Association.
The topic brought to mind a specific instance: “In one case, and I won’t say the name, but in one case, I was asked to on behalf of the WHCA to release a statement criticizing a reporter’s story,” said Mason, to a wave of disbelief in the conference room. “And I said ‘No,’ because that’s not what we do and that’s not something we would ever do.”
Mason declined to elaborate further, though reporters in the room tried:
#WHCA President @jeffmason1 was grilled by his fellow reporters after dropping Trump news. pic.twitter.com/xv9XnVinKw
— Justin Duckham (@Jduckham) July 11, 2017
[image via screengrab]
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