Reporters' Frustration With Obama Team Growing

There are signs that any honeymoon period between President Barack Obama and the White House press corps is morphing into a first quarrel.

White House reporters at Press Secretary Robert Gibbs briefing expressed their frustrations today at a number of issues that have cropped up in the first hours of the Obama administration. Namely a re-do on the presidential oath that had no pool reporter or video representation, and a question over why ABC got exclusive access to the president after it sponsored one of the inaugural balls.

Michael Calderone of Politico reports tonight:

Veteran CBS newsman Bill Plante was one of the most vocal critics, questioning the White House’s handling of Wednesday night’s second swearing in – which was covered by just a four-reporter print pool that didn’t include a news photographer or TV correspondent.

He also asked new press secretary Robert Gibbs why ABC, which paid millions to host the DC Neighborhood Ball, was granted the only inauguration day interview with President Obama – a move he equated to “pay to play.”

“We have a tradition here of covering the president,” said Plante, who is covering his fourth administration.

Gibbs defended the White House’s moves, insisting aides acted in a “way that was upfront and transparent” in allowing the standard pool into the swearing-in. And Obama himself seemed mindful of making a good impression, paying a surprise visit to the White House pressroom a few hours after the briefing.

Transparency was one of Obama's campaign mantras. But there have been problems in the first few hours of the administration. If the chief justice was invited back to re-administer the oath of office over an abundance of caution, why not allow a pool reporter and video? Only still images from White House photographer Pete Souza were released, and The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse refused to use them in protest.

Wasn't the idea to show the world that the president said the words in correct order? Not that it legally matters much, but taking the oath again does squelch any loon lawsuits. So why not make it public? Gibbs' answer to the question of why not show the world was "well, I was there." That doesn't cut it.

The ABC question is a good one, and the Obama team has to come up with an explanation. Are future interviews going to granted to news organizations that make some kind of financial contribution?

Calderone also points out confusion about background briefings:

Before Gibbs took the podium, reporters were given a background briefing under an agreement to only attribute information to “senior administration officials” — a policy some news organizations object to as a matter of policy.

But when Gibbs let slip the name of one briefer, Greg Craig, a couple times, The Wall Street Journal’s Jonathan Weisman asked, “Are we allowed to repeat that name?”

During the earliest days of the Clinton administration, such abrupt changes in the traditional press access were often met with harsh criticism from the briefing room pack, most notably, the blocking off of access to the office of then press secretary George Stephanopoulos.

Former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers, who succeeded Stephanopoulos, said in PBS’s “The Clinton Years” that the move “made the press very angry because they lost access to a part of the building that they had had access to.”

“And it didn't serve us,” she continued. “And it was stupid and didn't last very long. I can't remember when the decision was made and the door was finally reopened but it was a complete waste of energy. It alienated people for no purpose. It served nothing. It served no one. And it was a rookie, rookie mistake.”

Myers said Thursday that the Obama’s decision to bar widespread access to the re-do of the oath wasn’t in the same category as shutting access to the press office, but wouldn’t help in relations with the media.

The Bush White House would normally post transcripts to press briefings here. The whitehouse.gov site now has a few PR links, including the pdfs of the executive orders and a partial list of appointees (here is a more complete list), but no sign of where to get the official transcripts. CQPolitics.com is publishing the transcripts. It's not a good sign early on if the Bush White House was more transparent than Obama's. Ellen Moran, director of communications, and Gibbs have a bit of a learning curve ahead of him.

Obama Meets White House Press Corps, Fends Off Tough Questions

President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance during the daily White House briefing today to chat with reporters. But what he wanted to chat about wasn't what the reporters wanted to discuss.

Here's what Ben Feller of The Associated Press wrote this evening:

When a reporter tried to quiz him about a lobbyist chosen for a top Defense Department job, Obama begged off. "I came down here to visit. I didn't come down here — this is what happens. I can't end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to get grilled every time I come down here."

Obama was willing to field some lighter questions. Yes, he's discovered the gym in the White House residence. No, he hasn't played basketball yet on the outdoor White House court because it's been too cold.

Obama may have to get used to reporters firing tough questions any chance they get. It's a White House tradition. If you don't want to answer tough questions, don't put yourself in that position.

Mancini Back at the Helm as Newsday editor

James T. Madore of Newsday writes this afternoon that he does indeed have a boss, and that boss is John Mancini. It appears that Mancini and executives with Cablevision, the owner of the Long Island newspaper, have patched their differences.

A dispute between Newsday's top editor John Mancini and owner Cablevision Systems Corp. over editorial content appeared to have been resolved Tuesday, when he returned to the newspaper's Melville headquarters.

Mancini, speaking to newsroom staff, said his absence since Wednesday "was due to a difference of opinion with ownership over the editorial policy of Newsday. That has been settled."

He declined to offer details of the dispute, but said: "No one outside the newsroom influences . . . our news coverage in any way." He added there would be "no change in direction. Our only concern is that we get it right. Let's do our jobs and tell the story straight."

Mancini acknowledged his disagreement with Cablevision executives had grown heated. When asked whether the words "you're fired" or "I quit" were used, he said "words to that effect were uttered."

Rumors have circulated that Cablevision was angry about coverage of a sex harassment lawsuit filed against Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks; the team also is owned by the Bethpage-based cable operator. Mancini declined to comment when asked whether Knicks' coverage sparked the dispute.

He said he had decided not to return to the newsroom "until I had clarity that the editor was expected to perform his job as he had done."

When asked when he got clarity, he said "this morning."

He said Publisher Timothy P. Knight and Cablevision had been supportive of his stance.

Mancini said he felt the disagreement had produced an "understanding" of the need for newsroom independence. He also said Newsday's coverage is "valued at the highest levels" of Cablevision. "They said they liked the paper."

NY Post: Newsday's Mancini, Henley Not at Work; Is Krenek Next Editor?

Keith J. Kelly of the New York Post is writing today that Newsday Editor John Mancini and Managing Editor Deborah Henley have not reported for work for the fifth straight day, fueling speculation that Cablevision has fired the duo. The story did note that Managing Editor Debby Krenek is Mancini's likely successor, and has been in meetings at the Melville office.

"It's bizarre," said one insider, who was left wondering who's in charge ahead of today's coverage of the history-making inauguration of Barack Obama as president.

Added another insider, "If any of the top editors know what's going on, they're not telling anyone."

Meanwhile, Debby Krenek, another managing editor, was seen in the paper's Melville, LI, offices after being absent Thursday and Friday.

Her presence yesterday fueled speculation that Krenek, who's primarily in charge of Newsday's online edition, might be tapped by owner Cablevision to replace Mancini.

"She's here, but she's in a meeting," said a person answering Krenek's office phone.

There has been no confirmation or comment of any kind from Newsday and Cablevision officials.

Media Stars Shine for Obama's Inauguration

Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post reports that the media stars are out in full force today for President Barack Obama's inauguration:

It's turning into the royal wedding, isn't it?" asks Tina Brown, who threw a brunch Sunday at the Council on Foreign Relations with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough.

Every inauguration is a major media moment, with nonstop television coverage, newspapers churning out special editions and correspondents parachuting in from around the globe. But it is hard to envision this level of intensity if John McCain were taking the oath of office. All the hoopla has left the impression that many in journalism are thrilled by Obama's swearing-in.

"We wanted to celebrate the key themes of the Obama era," says Arianna Huffington, who hosted more than 1,500 guests at the Newseum last night at a bash featuring massive computer screens -- and live-blogging stations -- and entertainment by Will.I.Am, Sheryl Crow and Sting. These include "the rise of the Internet and new media and the role they had in getting him elected, and the way he's going to use it to govern."

At times, the line between celebrity and journalist seemed to vanish. Sharon Stone began interviewing 11-year-old Adrian Kali Turner, one of a group of kids picked to sing with Will.I.Am, on a reporter's behalf.

Why was she excited by Obama? "It's a benchmark in history," Adrian said. Can we get past color? "We're all the same inside," she said.

Beaming at her journalistic handiwork, Stone declared: "It wasn't Will.I.Am who said that. It was a little girl who said that."

Bill Press, a radio host at WWRC (1260 AM) -- now renamed "OBAMA 1260" -- arranged for other liberal hosts, including Stephanie Miller and Randi Rhodes, to join a radio and television broadcast on Sunday at George Washington University, complete with a live band. "We wanted to celebrate the inauguration of someone we all worked hard to get elected, and the role that progressive talk radio played," he says.

Rumors Abound About Status of Newsday Editor Mancini, Top MEs

Newsday's James T. Madore wrote today that Cablevision and Newsday officials would not comment on the status of editor John Mancini, and managing editors Deborah Henley and Debby Krenek. Whether the three were still employed was the subject of a story by Keith J. Kelly in Sunday's New York Post that was based on unnamed sources and speculation.

The gist of the Post story is this:

"Nobody knows what's going on," an insider said. "At first, we just assumed [the meeting] meant more layoffs, because advertising was off by 40 percent last quarter."

A rumor making the rounds had the Dolans furious over Newsday's coverage of a sexual-harassment suit filed against Knick center Eddy Curry by his former chauffeur. Cablevision, which owns the Knicks, the Rangers and Madison Square Garden, bought Newsday from the Tribune Company last July for $650 million.

When Mancini, Henley and Krenek failed to show up for work Thursday and Friday - as papers scrambled to cover the US Airways crash in the Hudson River - it ignited speculation that they were summoned to Cablevision offices Thursday and asked to justify their jobs.

Adding to the intrigue, Mancini's office had been cleared out by Friday morning. And by last night, voicemail was not connecting to any of the top three editors.

At least the Post was able to quoted "a rumor making the rounds." Madore's story responded with this:

But newsroom sources told Newsday that Henley was involved in the coverage Thursday of the US Airways plane downed in the Hudson River, and another source said Krenek was in New York City for scheduled meetings.

Voice mails for the three editors were back on yesterday after a wider outage had been corrected. Their names also continued to appear on the masthead.

Yesterday, Cablevision spokesman Charles Schueler referred questions to Newsday spokeswoman Deidra Parrish Williams, who declined to comment. Mancini would not address any questions. Publisher Timothy P. Knight, Henley and Krenek did not return telephone messages left for them.

Once again, no sources were quoted by name, which in itself isn't a ringing endorsement. I'd hate to see Mancini go. One, on a personal level, we worked side-by-side at Newsday for years (he did rise much higher in the organization than I did!), and I always liked the guy. But on a professional level, he's one of the best in the game. He can get to the root of any story, especially a New York story, and he knows what readers want and need. It would be a shame if he lost his job because he stepped on Cablevision's toes over the Curry story. If it is the case, the three of them are better off leaving.