White House Correspondents Insider

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

Legendary Bob Schieffer Says To Undermine Media is to Undermine The Nation in Stunning Newseum Speech

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Former CBS News “Face the Nation” moderator Bob Schieffer, one of the most widely recognized reporters of our time, delivered the concluding address today at “The President and the Press: The First Amendment in the First 100 Days” at the Newseum.

Addressing the rise of “fake news” and distractions used as political tools by campaigns, Schieffer used the example of the presidential election.

“No matter what the conversation people are having at a dinner party, if you throw a dead cat in the middle of the table, the conversation immediately turns to the dead cat. Donald Trump threw cats dead and alive on the table… And suddenly the attention was back on what he was talking about and on him,” Schieffer said.

Turning to the animosity with some government officials and the low public approval rating of the media, Schieffer concluded that journalists cannot dwell on name-calling.

“This year they hung less clever but really nasty names on us. This is all part of the job. It is something that we all know about and expect. That part is not to be taken seriously.”

Schieffer concluded by challenging journalists and the media to remain dedicated to the purpose of the industry, saying they “must give people news to improve their lives.”

“I have been a reporter for sixty years. And I have never been prouder of my profession than I am today.”

Bob Schieffer has been active in journalism since 1963, starting at the Dallas Star-Telegram. He has worked at CBS News since 1969 and moderated the Sunday CBS news show Face the Nation from 1991 to 2015.

Greta Van Susteren One-on-One with WH Press Sec Sean Spicer at the Newseum

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Photo courtesy Haddad Media

The Newseum hosted a landmark event on Tuesday, The President and the Press: The First Amendment in the First 100 Days. As part of the series of talks, Greta Van Susteren interviewed White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who address his role in the Trump administration, the next policy pushes from the White House, and some of the recent comments he made that have made news.

Sean Spicer said of tax reform, “it’s going to take some months,” before we see a plan.

Spicer also offered an apology for his comments about World War II from the previous day saying, “I have let the president down,” and calling his comments “inexcusable.”

Van Susteren asked about the White House’s decision to skip the Correspondent’s Dinner this year. According to Spicer, “This is not the appropriate year to go…I don’t think we should fake it.”

No White House Staff Will Attend Correspondents’ Dinner

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Correspondents’ Dinner place setting. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

There will be no representative from the White House at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The Trump administration announced late Tuesday that White House staff will not attend this year’s Dinner out of “solidarity” with the president.

WHCA president Jeff Mason of Reuters sent a letter to the organization stating that “[t]he White House informed the White House Correspondents’ Association this evening that White House staff will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner out of ‘solidarity’ with President Trump, who has previously announced that he would skip the event.”

The president announced on Twitter in February that he would not attend the annual dinner. But various White House figures had been rumored to be planning on attending, such as Vice President Mike Pence, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

“Only the White House can speak to the signal it wants to send with this decision, but our signal is clear,” wrote Mason. “We will celebrate the First Amendment on April 29 and look forward to acknowledging the important work of our terrific members and awarding scholarships to students who represent the next generation of our profession.”

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner will be held on April 29 at the Washington Hilton. Proceeds for the event go toward scholarships for exceptional students in journalism.

First Lady Names Stephanie Grisham as Communications Director

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Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Melania Trump has named Stephanie Grisham as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications to the First Lady. In this role, Grisham will lead all communications on behalf of the First Lady.

“Stephanie is a wonderful addition to the team. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the job, and will be an incredible asset to my office as we build out our agenda, preserve our country’s rich traditions, and serve the American people,” said the First Lady in a written statement.

Grisham currently serves as Deputy Press Secretary in the White House, transitioning to the First Lady’s office in the coming weeks. She was the former press secretary for the Arizona House of Representatives and has over a decade of experience working in communications, logistics and media relations. During the campaign, she was responsible for securing and running the campaign’s press plane, which travelled independently of then-candidate Donald Trump.

“I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the First Lady’s Director of Communications,” said Grisham. “Mrs. Trump’s life story is an inspiration to millions of mothers and female entrepreneurs, and to me personally. I deeply respect and admire her commitment to our country, her family, and to the important role of the First Lady. I look forward to helping her communicate her unifying message of kindness and empowerment.”

According to recent reports, Melania Trump will move to the White House from New York City in June, after the school year for her 10-year old son ends.

State-Owned Russian News Site Applies for Press Pass

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news outlet, has applied for a White House Press pass.

The Russian news source is asking for membership in the White House Foreign Press Group.  This group of about 22 foreign outlets covers President Trump alongside pool reporters from U.S. news outlets.

Philip Crowther, White House correspondent for France’s News24 and head of the White House Foreign Press Group, stated that there “shouldn’t be any reason” for the Russian publication to not join the press pool if they meet the required criteria.  These include membership in the White House Correspondents’ Association, verification that Sputnik is based in Russia through the U.S. State Department, and a White House-approved hard pass.

Sputnik is one of the newer Russian state-sponsored news outlets, launching in 2014.  It has received criticism of a staunch pro-Putin position and has been viewed as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.

President Trump’s campaign and several of his top advisors have been under investigation by the FBI, as confirmed under oath by FBI Director James Comey during a Congressional hearing last week.  The agency is reviewing the possibility of any links or coordination between the campaign and Moscow.

White House Correspondents Say Spicer Turning Daily Briefings into Chaotic Shouting Matches

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James Brady Press Briefing Room, 2007. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Long-time reporters covering the White House have complained that the Trump administration is purposefully utilizing inexperienced conservative bloggers to reduce press secretary Sean Spicer’s daily briefings to little more than chaotic shouting matches.

CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett said the inclusion of right-wing bloggers has reduced the quality of questions during daily briefings.

“[Mainstream, experienced journalists] ask questions that are sharper, more informed.  Not ‘What’s your message today?’… not ‘Here’s a paintbrush; would you paint us a pretty picture?,” Garrett said in an interview with The New Yorker.

Another television journalist, declining to speak on the record, said the current situation does little more than inject chaos into the briefings.

“Maybe you’ll get a question, if you should loud enough.  Who knows?… [The inclusion of bloggers] makes everyone desperate and competitive and makes us look like a bunch of braying jackals.  Which I don’t think is an accident.”

Most conservative bloggers, newly included in the daily briefings by the Trump administration, are under 30 years old and have never worked for a “mainstream” or outlet, instead working for pro-Trump blogs.

The television reporter continued, “At what point does it start to delegitimize the whole idea of what happens in that room?  When does it cross the line into pure trolling?”

President Trump Calls Media “Rude” Following Conway Interviews

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President Donald Trump tweeted Monday that journalists and news outlets have been rude toward administration officials. He said if journalists begin treating administration officials nicely, “you will do much better.”

While not referencing any specific interview or story in his tweet, the president’s reaction follows several interviews conducted by presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway Monday morning.

George Stephanopoulos asked Conway on ABC’s “Good Morning America” to explain her statements Sunday to the Bergen Record suggesting President Obama had used household electronics such as smart phones and televisions to spy on Trump. Conway said she had no evidence to back up her claims, but was speaking broadly about surveillance, not specifically toward any allegation against Obama.

Facing a similar line of inquiry on CNN’s “New Day” – which has largely been boycotted by the administration in recent weeks – Conway said proving claims was not her responsibility.

“I’m not Inspector Gadget. I don’t believe people are using the microwave to spy on the Trump campaign. However, I’m not in the job of having evidence. That’s what investigations are for,” Conway told CNN host Chris Cuomo.

Conway also faced inquiry about her statements on NBC’s “Today” show. Host Savannah Guthrie asked Conway, “can I stop you right there? The media did not bring up this topic. President Trump did.” Conway responded saying the media was focused too much on wiretapping accusations and not on other issues “that the American people want to hear about.”

President Trump Still Welcome to Attend White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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Correspondents’ Dinner place setting. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

The White House Correspondents’ Association is keeping open the possibility that President Donald Trump may appear at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April. The president announced last month on Twitter that he would not attend.

“If President Trump changes his mind, he is welcome to attend the dinner,” said association President Jeff Mason of Reuters.

There have been no announcements yet on who would be at the head table if Trump does not attend. Traditionally, members of the WHCA board sit on stage, joined by the president, first lady, vice president, White House press secretary and entertainment.

President Trump has attended events in the past where he had declined invitations, such as a post-election interview with the New York Times.

C-SPAN political editor and former WHCA president Steve Scully commented on this possibility. “President Trump is the master showman so he may decide to attend at the last minute, but I doubt it.”

The president has attended every White House Correspondents’ Dinner since 1981, when Ronald Reagan missed as he was recovering from an assassination attempt. Reagan called the dinner and addressed the crowd over the phone. Jimmy Carter was the last president to decline an invitation to the annual dinner.

The Association Dinner will be held on April 29. Proceeds from the event go toward scholarships for emerging journalism students.

Mark Halperin and John Heilemann Sign Deal with Penguin Press for Game Changer 3

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On Thursday, Penguin Press revealed that political journalists and analysts John Heilemann and Mark Halperin will write a third installment of their “Game Change” series.  HBO has also purchased the book for a mini-series, with Jay Roach signing up to direct and produced by Tom Hanks.

Speaking about the book’s focus, Heilemann said “We’ll be looking at all the big unanswered questions of the race, some of them obvious, some of them are less obvious.  But of course we’re interested in breaking news.”

Some interesting areas of focus include WikiLeaks, potential Russian collaboration, FBI Director James Comey’s actions, and more.

“Despite all the coverage, we don’t know the answers to those questions,” Heilemann said in an interview.  “We think there’s still an awful lot to write about here.”

Penguin Press has scheduled the book for publication in early 2018.

TMZ’s Harvey Levin Meets President Trump in Oval Office

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President Donald Trump met with TMZ founder Harvey Levin in the Oval Office last week for about an hour. The meeting was not on the president’s public schedule.

This was not the first meeting between the president and the head of TMZ. Last fall, Levin interviewed Trump for the special “Objectified: Donald Trump,” which aired on Fox News. White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks emailed reporters suggesting this meeting was along the same vein.

“The show was a huge success, and the two were discussing future opportunities,” Hicks stated.

Levin’s stop at the White House included a tour of the presidential residence, including a visit of the Lincoln Bedroom.