This from today’s face-off with Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs is what White House reporters – no, make that all journalists – are supposed to do all the time – Ask those in power, regardless of who is in power, the tough questions they don’t want to answer:
“Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –
(Crosstalk)
“Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.
“Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –
“Gibbs: ABC –
“Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?
“Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.
“Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” — why is that appropriate for the White House to say?
“Gibbs: That’s our opinion.”
Tapscott’s question: Will Gibbs now do a Dede and call the cops on Tapper?
HT: Glenn Reynolds for pointing this out.
