This is How Hillary Clinton Gets the Coverage She Wants

[BernieforPres2016]

From a Hillary spokesman to the political editor of The Atlantic:

gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-coverage-she-wants-1758019058

From: [Philippe Reines]
Sent: Wednesday, July 15 2009 10:06 AM
To: Ambinder, Marc
Subject: Re: Do you have a copy of HRC’s speech to share?

3 [conditions] actually

1) You in your own voice describe them as “muscular”

2) You note that a look at the CFR seating plan shows that all the envoys — from Holbrooke to Mitchell to Ross — will be arrayed in front of her, which in your own clever way you can say certainly not a coincidence and meant to convey something

3) You don’t say you were blackmailed!

[oldandhappy]

1. no surprise

She is good at manipulation

[pacalo]

2. Link...

http://gawker.com/this-is-how-hillary-clinton-gets-the-coverage-she-wants-1758019058

Must read.

[BernieforPres2016]

6. Thanks for putting up that link

I tried to fix it in my OP. Don't know what was going on.

[pacalo]

8. Happy to do so; people deserve to know this.

[CoffeeCat]

3. Ugh...This is so disgusting, unprofessional and dishonest

First, I blame the reporter. Reporters are supposed to maintain objectivity and professionalism. Of course, there will always be cheaters, liars and truth distorters who will take advantage of a reporter who has no spine. But the reporters are supposed to act as the gatekeepers.

Secondly, are we really surprised that the Clinton camp is giving reporters talking points and whole sentences and ideas to place in articles?

I hear this consistently on CNN--in particular on election nights. Dana Bash and others have repeatedly said that the Clinton camp calls them up to reiterate what the talking points are. Of course, people who are being covered by the media---will try to spin. However, there is a line that the Clinton camp crosses--and it is appalling to see what they communicated to this Atlantic reporter.

I worked with many reporters on behalf of CEOs, attempting to secure positive media coverage for them. At no time, did I EVER presume to tell a reporter what to say or how to say it. You write a press release or disseminate a press kit and follow up. Sometimes you get an article. Other times you don't. You arrange interviews and you coach the interviewee and plan your answers. However, following up with specific directives like that--while the article is being written, is beyond unethical. Especially when you're dealing with political officials and events!

I've met with hundreds of reporters from The New York Times, Forbes, Washington Post, Fortune--and NEVER, EVER would I have thought to give them marching orders on how to describe people or events.

Obviously, this reporter has realized the error of his ways. Obviously, Clinton has not.

[Ash_F]

4. "3) You don’t say you were blackmailed!"

[notadmblnd]

5. Blackmail is SOP in DC

nt

[BernieforPres2016]

7. How about I buy you a computer?

I thought this was a nice little nugget in the story.

<In several emails sent in early September 2009, Mark Halperin—then at Time, now at Bloomberg News—appears to have arranged for a computer pre-configured with Microsoft’s Outlook calendaring software to be delivered to Reines’ house in Washington, D.C., so that Reines would be able to open particular documents in his possession, including Hillary Clinton’s travel schedules during the 2008 presidential campaign, and relay their contents to Halperin. In one email, the reporter writes to Reines:

the computer is ready to be delivered. I could have it there in 20-25 minutes

It has a newly downloaded version of Outlook, which has not been installed, because it has to be done linked to an email. I am hoping/assuming you can do that.

Is now a good time to have it brought over? Should it be left with a doorman or left upstairs?>

[azmom]

9. Kick