Has the White House press offices silence become a weapon in its war on the media?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Has the White House press office’s silence become a weapon in its war on the media?

By Paul Farhi February 20

An eye-opening sentence has appeared in several important news stories about the Trump administration in recent days: The White House did not respond to requests for comment. ... Not “the White House declined to comment” or “We’ll get right back to you.” But no response at all when reporters have asked for the White House’s take on developments.

At a time when President Trump has declared the news media the “enemy of the American people,” the official silence from the White House has left some journalists wondering whether the non-responses are mere indifference or a strategy to discredit journalists by pointing to flaws after publication instead of beforehand.
....

Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush, who wrote the story about Trump’s transition, have been unusually public about their frustrations with Trump’s spokespeople. ... “The last 14 emails I have sent to his press secretary have gone unanswered,” Thrush wrote last week on Nytimes.com.

In the same forum, Haberman, wrote, “I email his press office almost every day, and Sean Spicer and [assistant press secretary] Sarah Huckabee refuse to respond to my emails.” She also tweeted,* “Taxpayer[-funded] press office that has hours to devote to focusing on palace intrigue stories and profiles does not respond to routine q’s.”
....

Paul Farhi is The Washington Post's media reporter. Follow @farhip

*

Link to tweet

[spanone]

1. most arrogant administration i've seen in my long life.

[murielm99]

2. Then the press should respond the same way.

The next time they call a press conference, impromptu or otherwise, the press should stay home. Let Breitbart and Fox be the only ones who show up.