On Friday, President Barack Obama shuffled into the Rose Garden and read a statement on immigration policy. Then he left without taking questions, despite the disgusting spectacle of a journalist actually daring to directly address Him with an unauthorized question (without even prostrating himself, no less). The statement was broadcast, and the White House Press Office released a transcript of the remarks.
Why do reporters go to these things? They get no information that they couldn't get by sitting in their offices and reading the statement on the White House website or by watching the thing on CNN. What is the point of their presence? What are they doing?
And if they don't ask any questions, in what sense are they engaged in "reporting," and in what sense are they "reporters," and couldn't the news media just save resources by pooling their cash and hiring a single clerk-typist to transcribe the television feed, just in case the press office fails to spoonfeed the official transcript in a timely fashion?
Reporters: do they?
It does not appear that they do.
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Chris,
ReplyDeletefascinated with being close to 'the man'. They would get more out of an answering machine. If I am correct the journalist in question is being pilloried by his colleagues for not being professional.