White House reporters rally for Trump era

[highplainsdem]

Source: CNN

The White House Correspondents' Association holds a town hall for members every year. Normally a few dozen reporters show up. This year: One hundred.

"People were very interested and attentive and engaged," association president Jeff Mason said in an interview.

Another member, USA Today's Gregory Korte, said the meeting on Thursday evening was standing room only. Others said they had never seen the room so packed. The prior record, Mason said, was 45 attendees.

The crowded meeting was a visible manifestation of concern about President-elect Donald Trump's treatment of the press corps.

-snip-

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/14/media/white-house-correspondents-association-trump/index.html

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The article ends with the association president saying that usually the planning for the White House Correspondents Dinner would be a priority in January, but the subject of the dinner didn't even come up. As Mason said, they "have a lot of priorities right now."

[tenorly]

1. The members of the press corps will need to watch out for each other in the Trump era.

And above all, for freedom of the press itself.

[Flatpicker]

2. I doubt it's freedom they will care about

It's more the need to stay on Dirty Donnie's good side for POTUS access that's driving them.

The Press Corps sold its soul decades ago.

[tenorly]

4. True.

As much as we need big money out of politics, we need it out of journalism even more.

[J_William_Ryan]

3. Priorities

“The crowded meeting was a visible manifestation of concern about President-elect Donald Trump's treatment of the press corps.”

They should be just as concerned about Trump’s contempt for the First Amendment – for the first time in history they must confront a ‘president’ openly hostile to a free press, along with facts and the truth.

[moonscape]

7. Why do you think they aren't? I realize the press is slammed here a lot, but there

are many dedicated reporters working in an almost impossible environment - from all sides. I suspect we're going to see a lot of courage from many in the press in the coming years.

[secondwind]

11. well said.

[heaven05]

16. we'll see

won't we. I say we won't see much courage except with people like Reid, some NYT reporters, maybe Rolling Stone.....otherwise media wide...NO!!!!!!!!! They are cowed already and the corporate masters that run these news organizations won't allow dissent to be televised. That's right "the revolution will not be televised".

[Gibs4Bernie]

5. Crazy times.

[Liberty Belle]

6. Here's how the press corp should show unity: nobody asks a question until CNN gets theirs answered.

The Press Corps did this years ago when Bush kept refusing to answer a question from Helen Thomas. When he was finally forced to call on her, because nobody else put their hand up, she asked a doozy about why we were really at war in Iraq.

If they all walked out anytime he denigrated a reporter, and reported what he'd done and why they left, it would stop, or he'd look like an even bigger fool and bully than he already does.

[RainCaster]

10. I agree with you, however...

The Orange Menace has already taken to filling the room with fake press (Breitbart, Conservative Weakly, etc.) as well as fake people- actors. This will require more thought. Perhaps if the press was to call him on EVERYTHING, like exposing the fake news staff invited by DFT. Or the table full of fake folders. These things need to come from the white house press corps, not the Internet. Start by introducing the public to the actors Trump hired- call them out by name and go into their history. Then the press can do its own "Extreme Vetting" and give lie by lie exposure to each of his statements.

[Liberty Belle]

17. Good points, I agree this needs to be done.

[Grins]

12. "If they all walked out..." Oh, YES!

"If they all walked out..." The optics alone would be devastating. And give the entire world hope.

[Birdzeye]

15. He'd whine about that

What would follow would be a 5AM tweet storm whining about their "rudeness." Of course, Breitbart and Fox would not participate in the walkout.

[TeamPooka]

8. Trump will disband them soon.

[sdfernando]

9. The should cancel the dinner...cheeto hombre is NOT funny!

....or maybe they could have it but ask President Obama to be the honored guest again. LOL!

[Grins]

13. Bwahahahahahahaha!!

Remember the absolute failure the orange-headed howler monkey was at the Al Smith dinner in NYC where he crashed and burned? The guests were horrified.

[heaven05]

14. Please!!!!!!!!!!

the MSM is the sole responsible collaborator(s) in creating this freakenstein monster the MSM is slowly growing to lament. They'll buckle down soon and be on their knees before him...the are pathetic as is our whole MSM establishment...5th estate my ass, more like dungeon dwellers with no idea what is going on with the millions of 'decent' americans. USAtoday is notoriously conservative. Now they want to worry......see what they think when trump throws them into the basement of the WH.