The Papers are Getting the Last Rites

I'm not sure how many people noticed, but only one garden-variety newspaper reporter got to ask a question at tonight's news conference. A guy from Stars and Stripes got called upon in the middle, but it was the next to last question, where a guy from the Washington Times (not the WaPo, the Times) before a regular newspaper got called upon. ABC got two shots, NBC got one, both Fox and CNN got a shot, as did Ebony, Univision and both the AP and the French AFP, but the major print MSM got bupkis. Politico even got a shot.

That doesn't say much for the influence of the newspapers. Well, it didn't matter too much, since Obama played a mean game of dodgeball, ducking questions like his predecessor ducked shoes.

What I found interesting is that Obama almost seemed to have some things scripted, where the Univision gal asked him about Mexican security issues and the Stars and Stripes (a military-centric paper) guy grilled him on cutting the defense budget. In many cases, it seemed that he gave his stock half-page on an issue and ignored the question or practically begged the question by who he asked. I'm not sure that the answer to homelessness that the Ebony guy posed was scripted; that seemed to less a talking-pointer than the others.

Comments

[alan]

He has not answered questions squarely in an time that I have seen him. I can no longer even listen to him at all. As you know I stay in touch with politics, but I do not even listen to any of his speeches or his news conferences, lest I get sick.

[alan]

Forgot to ad one.

I am surprised you the MSU guy has no remark about MSU Ladies upset of Duke and their former coach. That is what I was watching and enjoying instead last night.

[Bene D]

Scripted questions and answers are common.

Targeting markets and therefore certain reporters are common.

Deviate from the script and the politican and CEO has gone over it so many times with his/her media people it's like you didn't ask. Frustrating.