Speaking at the Society of Professional Journalists Convention, he said, “The reason it was a bad idea is that it changed the moment when you can transact information to a little theater segment for the cameras.  …  It’s turned into a little sideshow every day.”

He said after the new president is inaugurated in 2009, he’d like to see the same rules at the White House that applied when he was at the State Department in the early 1990s: The briefings would be taped and available for news outlets, but not broadcast live.

More McCurry:

» On “The West Wing”: “Not even in Bill Clinton’s White House did so many people wander around aimlessly all the time.”

» On how he got through the Lewinsky scandal: “You mean, besides the drugs? …  It wasn’t particularly difficult because we weren’t saying anything.”

Gerald Ford’s press secretary, Ron Nessen, who was also on the panel, noted that there are three things that haven’t changed in the 30 years since he manned the podium: reporters Helen Thomas, Les Kinsolving and Trudy Feldman.