'It's astonishing': The demise of the daily White House press briefing

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

'It's astonishing': The demise of the daily White House press briefing

The press briefing has become a monthly event in the era of Trump, and concerns are that it may soon disappear altogether

David Smith in Washington
Tue 1 Jan 2019 06.00 GMT

Laptops and phones, winter coats and scarves, a hubbub of different languages. A row of cameras sits on a bench. John Roberts of Fox News has a steely expression as he clutches a mic. Jim Acosta of CNN, press pass reinstated after his run-in with the president last year, speaks simultaneously to his own viewers: “We’ll see how much time we have Sarah Sanders. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, these briefings can end very quickly.”

Then a voice on the public-address system: “The press briefing will begin at 1.20pm. Thank you.” The hundred-or-so journalists crammed into the seats and aisles erupt in knowing laughs and groans. Sanders eventually enters at 1.35pm. It will be the White House press secretary’s sole briefing in the whole of November – a paltry total she will match in December.

The question-and-answer session was described as must-see television in the early months of the Trump administration, gripping millions of viewers and earning the accolade of parody on the TV variety show Saturday Night Live. But now the daily press briefing is no more. It has effectively become a monthly press briefing, raising concerns that it might soon disappear altogether.

“That would be a tragedy and a campaign point in 2020,” said Anthony Scaramucci, who served as White House communications director for 11 days in 2017. “I pray that that does not happen. For the president to be successful, you don’t want that to be a campaign talking point in 2020. The American people intuitively know that there needs to be an open communication between the White House and the free press.”

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/31/white-house-press-briefings-demise

[vlyons]

1. Can we blame them?

Well yeah, of course we can. But really? What's the point? It's just Trump lies, contradictory statements. Change the subject. Abruptly walk out of the room? Why bother? Hope the press switches over to hanging out at the House committee chairpersons' offices. Let's have some real news. Not that eyeball-rollingWH bullshit.

[underpants]

2. Okay I actually laughed out loud at this and read it to my wife

Spicer’s briefings became a compulsive, car-crash spectacle. There was fluster, ill-fitting suits, gaffes such as “Holocaust centres” and Melissa McCarthy’s deathless impression of him with motorised lectern on Saturday Night Live. Scaramucci said: “They were must-watch television because he made a decision that he was going to lie and so everyone knew he was lying. There was a contradiction to the press briefing. Every Spice Girl has a nickname. His was Liar Spice.”

[FakeNoose]

3. If everybody would just ignore Cheeto's insane tweets

... and I mean IGNORE them ... then he would be forced to call regular press conferences, or just continue to be ignored. This is all happening because the American media has allowed him to play his game, and now they can't do their jobs.

[LuckyLib]

4. Because the MSM refused to hold Trump and Sanders'

feet to the fire, refused to call them on their BS because of fear of losing “access” they have truly and finally lost access of any kind. They need to pack up and go home.