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Obama is Reaching Beyond the White House Press Corps to Build an Image

April 20, 2009 By WHC Insider

Cultivating Relations with Celebrity Press/Paparazzi

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This White House photo was released as part of a strategy to discourage unauthorized photos, the L.A. Times reports.

Don’t think those pictures you see of the Obamas as an ordinary family leading an ordinary life just happen naturally, reports the Los Angeles Times. “The White House, eager to cultivate an image-making media machinery that thrives on personality, has invited coverage from such outlets as television’s ‘Access Hollywood’ and ‘Extra.’ Aides dole out exclusives accordingly, acutely aware of the shelf life for cover stories in glamour and celebrity magazines,” the paper says.

“Administration officials have even weighed the economics of paparazzi photography, strategically releasing images of the family to diminish the monetary value of unauthorized pictures and give the White House control over how the family is portrayed. In return for access, celebrity news outlets must refuse to publish unauthorized pictures — or risk being cut off by the White House.” Full story here.

Filed Under: Media Strategy Tagged With: Celebrity, Los Angeles Times, obama family, Paparazzi

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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.

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