White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

  • Home
  • About
  • 30th Anniversary Garden Brunch
  • Washington Insider
  • Archives
  • Contact

Debating the Off-the-record Lunch

August 16, 2010 By WHC Insider

While Robert Gibbs may be becoming the August cable poster boy, the President has been meeting the press.

Last Thursday, eleven White House reporters sat down with President Obama for an off-the-record lunch. The President has talked off-the-record recently with commentators like MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson, so what makes it so newsworthy this time?

Is it because it took some digging to find out who the Lunching 11 were? The Upshot outed them last week (Associated Press, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, Politico, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and USA Today). Or is it because the New York Times has been so outspoken about refusing the White House invite?

Times reporter Peter Baker tells Howard Kurtz in the Washington Post these off-the-record sessions are “to be avoided if possible. It can too easily turn into a substitute for on-the-record….”

“We’re not trying to be haughty,” he adds, but “White House reporters get relatively few opportunities to talk to the president on the record.”

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Pinterest

Filed Under: Correspondents, News Media Tagged With: Howard Kurtz, lunch, off-the-record, Peter Baker, the New York Times, White House

Search WHCInsider

2023 WHC Garden Brunch

About White House Correspondents Insider

Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it, from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos.

Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and CEO of Haddad Media.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

Cone of Silence Podcast

WHCA Seating Chart

Connect

  • YouTube
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Apple
  • Google

Instagram

Yesterday @BlueStarFamilies officially kicked off the #DoYourPart campaign on Capitol Hill. BSF CEO @rothdouquet & @craignewmark joined @RepDonBacon, @RepHoulahan, @TimKaine, Michael Collins from @Starbucks & Heidi Andersen from @NextDoor for a briefing moderated by @jonkarl to launch the national campaign to address the quality-of-life challenges undermining our nation’s military members & their families.
CNN celebrates Dana Bash and her 30 years of reporting. The new host of Inside Politics was feted by democrats, republicans and media competitors in Washington DC.
The Birthday and Coronation of HM King Charles III reception at the British Embassy in DC
@themessenger @jimlaporta Important investigation of US Marines drinking contaminated water
Guests chat in front of Micron’s Wall of Memory at the CBS News WHCD after party. #CBSNewsAfterParty @we_are_micron
Megan Klink, Nikki Braden, Vinoda Basnayake, Lisa Vanderpump, Peyton Doyle and Jimmy Murrill at the #GardenBrunch
Sean Walsh, Lisa Vanderpump, and Daniel Lippman toasting the 30th Anniversary #GardenBrunch 🥂
The #GardenBrunch, Liev Schreiber and Amb. Oksana Markarova salute the work of Kathy Roth-Douquet and Blue Star Families, with special thanks to Craig Newmark
CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, WME’s Henry Reisch and CNN’s Abby Phillip at the #GardenBrunch
#GardenBrunch guests Tinx, Brooke Hammerling, Kara Swisher, Amanda Katz, Phil Rucker and Josh Humphries
Retired Navy Corpsman and Bronze Star for Valor recipient Dr. Rich Jadic and Army Delta Force member Bo White, both of whom helped save Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall when he was wounded in Ukraine, Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin and Save our Allies co-founder Sarah Verardo attend the 30th Anniversary White House Correspondents' Garden Brunch.
Joe Berchtold, Evan Ryan, Maria Teresa Kumar, Rosario Dawson, Raj Kumar and Hilary Rosen at the #GardenBrunch

Copyright © White House Correspondents Insider