U.S. State Department Recalls Warning About Journalist Travel In Saudi Arabia

Is this the anthill that you and your fellow prissy prima donnas in the White House Press Corps choose to die on, Scherer? You are looking more and more unprofessional every day. Did that bratty, snotty-nosed Ed Henry put you up to this? Because, you know, miscommunications and corrections to itinerary and such on an official visit aren't usually petulantly aired out on a public blog like this. This doesn't make you look good, Scherer.
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May I remind you that these people are trying to solve massive, complex problems of world import, not trying to provide you with blog fodder and newsprint filler and otherwise entertain you on a great big adventure. Grow up, son.

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Don't Mess With the Media

The White House press corps gets its revenge.
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Brit Hume demanded to know. No, not about the administration's flip-flops on Bosnia or the slow progress of Hillary Clinton's health-care reform plan. At a White House briefing last week, the ABC newsman wanted to know why the press had been served cold food -- a mere croissant, yogurt and fruit -- on a flight to New Hampshire aboard a White House charter. Where were those hot cakes and ham omelets, the kind of breakfast served on the press plane before the Clintons purged the White House travel office? Another reporter groused that even the champagne on the flight back had been cheap -- domestic, presumably. White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos bravely stuck to his story: the reporters were getting the same standard of service they always enjoyed aboard White House charters. The press wasn't buying. "Earth to George!" Hume hooted out.

Newsweek
June 7, 1993
ELEANOR CLIFT and MARK MILLER at the White House
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That's what this is about, isn't it Scherer. Childish, arrogant narcissism and self-important petulance.

A nice bit of insight into how the press are treated - and expected to behave - in a part of the world that touts itself as being civilized. It doesn't appear that the first communique' was a 'miscommunication' - but business as usual in the Saudi world.

The kind of trivia which exercises our MSM: information on what is and is not acceptable behaviour by visitors to Saudi Arabia is widely available. That we have two posts on this unimportant subject does not improve quality at Swampland. Get serious MS. You folks have been mollycoddled for too long. Over at Morning Joe Mike Allen couldn't contain his enthusiasm that you all will get to spend an extra day in Paris. Wow!

They're joking about the booze. Take a couple of fifths. How are the strip clubs over there? Does topless mean no veil? Does the cable in the hotel rooms have decent porn?

Order a ham sandwich, a kosher pickle and a beer from room service. We'll run that story up to 3 or 4 pages if you post their reaction.

Shorter MS:
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Me! Me! Me!

Scherer's tantrum here has no intrinsic news value whatsoever.
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I think Cox was right. Dismantle the White House Press Corps. These people have nothing of value to add. Station a couple of wire hacks down there by the press office to report on WH press office releases, and send these self-important foofs out to do some real work. Send a wire pool plus a couple of TV camera guys along on the trip. The rest of these adolescent jerk-offs can report from the feed. That'll save their news organizations thousands of dollars, and the public will receive much better coverage. And we don't have to tolerate the public spectacle of these blow-dried prima donnas banging their sippy cups on their high chairs time and again.

Lordy James, give it a rest. If there are more important things then just let it alone. Scherer is not your enemy, and if he is then you have way bigger problems than this post!

JLA: That was pretty good. Let's break out the flamethrowers and torch all the threads today. I had to shell out a couple of hundred to keep the peace, the new A/C unit froze up and my back is sore. Somebody is going to pay.

bethnva,
feel free to post comments on whichever thread interests you on the topics that you feel are important. That's what I do. I'm not sure I need nannys to police my subject material. If the High Sheriffs object, they have the power to ban me.

James is correct that the press corps is filled with prissy prima donnas. But he is incorrect that media blogs are improper outlets for airing their petty grievances. I'd argue that the Beltway Heathers are going to be narcissistic and shallow no matter what and that it is better that they blog and twitter out their teenage foolishness rather than infecting actual news stories. It is no more pointless than cat-blogging.
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We always do have the option of not coming here.

The WHPC is playing a big power game with the WH press office right now. They made a formal, public protest against background briefings that they aired out publicly through Howie Kurtz last week. Now, anyone who has paid attention knows that the Bush Administration was the most egregious practitioner of background briefings. Yet, no public protest or formal protest was ever made. Sure, the WHPC groused about it privately, but went along anyway like puppy dogs and actually defended the practice. Okay?
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Then you have snotty little a$$holes like Ed "My job is to make news" Henry and Chip "Don't talk about my BFF Cheney that way!" Reid acting like arrogant jerks in presidential press conferences. That Obama was able to handle their bomb-throwing still irks these little prima donnas.
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This latest travel thing is a transparent power play that is designed to embarrass the Obama administration before this crucial Middle East trip.
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This kind of stuff is generally handled between the WH press correspondents association and the WH press office. You didn't see this kind of public mud wrestling in the bush Administration. Ann Compton was a very competent laision between the press corpse and the WH press office. I wonder what is wrong with the current president, that she can't handle this stuff like a professional. I mean, why air this kind of stuff out in public?

You have a point there, sqr1.
Except that this stuff DOES infect their news stories.

I personally have no problem if people want to include 'process' stories here on the blog. I think it's helpful to be able to discuss process and content separately.
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What this story seems to indicate is that someone in the press-liason business at State is a novice. Unsuprising in a new administration but unexplored due to the self-absorbtion of the victims.

Of course the original report was about bypassing the Visa process while travelling with the POTUS and the Saudi communication indicated that reporters were free to get Visas.
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Is it possible that everyone's simply talking past each other?

Gotta go with James here – the subject of the post isn't the particular concern, or the cause of critical comments. The problem is that the post is evidence of a wholly irresponsible WH press corps. Watch the Tappers and the Henrys at the daily Gibbs and you'll see purportedly professional reporters whose sole objectives are to achieve "gotcha" and to maximize their face time.
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The old axiom about not killing the messenger assumes the messenger isn't going out of his way to overshadow – or become – the message.

I enjoy these insights into the inner workings (sanctum?) of the press and bureauacracy. Here is my advisory to all traveling to Saudi Arabia. These people are crazy as bedbugs. Do not frolick, do not smile inappropriately, cover your body from toe to top of head, act reverent and serious. Just my take, but then again, I wouldn't go to one of these looney tunes destinations on a bet.