The great Steven Nelson at the New York Post broke the news Monday afternoon that “[a] large number of White House reporters have been snubbed from President Biden’s press corps Christmas parties for the second year in a row” and “impact a diverse group of outlets — including The Post...as well as reporters known for sharp questions who work for Democrat-supporting titles.”
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In “Frosty the Joe-man: White House Christmas parties freeze out reporters — again,” three from non-conservative outlets were quoted anonymously while those “whose opinion content skews conservative” admitted “on the record that they were snubbed, including” our friends with “the Washington Examiner, Newsmax and Catholic channel EWTN”.
Nelson explained there are actually two media-based Christmas parties, with one for TV set for Friday and one “for print and radio reporters scheduled for Dec. 6,” which unfortunately coincides “with the fourth Republican presidential primary debate, which many journalists must cover.”
While not as egregious as, say, being iced out at press briefings and cut off from White House events without explanation, Nelson explained throughout the piece how such moves reveal the gatherings “offer intimate interactions with the president” and a sort of soft access as the press corps also struggles to get into hard-news events”.
One “large non-conservative outlet” was blunt to Nelson: “If you’re hosting a reception for the press, invite the entire press corps or just call it what it is, a private party for your friends.”
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A second, whose outlet “tilts left” didn’t hold back in describing the parties “as bait for access”
The third who “does not lead Republican” unloaded at Team Biden’s “play-to-play system” with things such as what were traditional invites to Christmas gatherings being used as rewards for peddling “‘stories’ the press office desires — including the first lady ‘fluff stories’ like Christmas decorations and state dinner menus.”
If not, they said, “not only are” you axed from “social events, but you’re also threatened with a lack of access....to high-profile” officials and being ignored at briefings.
One who did go on the record was Newsmax’s James Rosen, who noted he had been previously attended parties going back to the Clinton years (which would then include the Obama years, even as the administration was spying on him).
Rosen argued “[o]nly the Biden White House has exhibited such pettiness at the holidays” and, while it’s not issue one for Americans, it illustrates for them a lack of “magnanimity” and “toughness of skin”
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Former longtime CBS News reporter Mark Knoller countered this was much ado about nothing because “[i]t’s their party, they can invite who they like and don’t like.”
However, Nelson wound down with tidbits such as this one about how “beat reporters have noticed that many journalists who are invited aren’t assigned to cover the White House and that other attendees are merely friends of West Wing officials” with “[t]he TV party” being “expected to draw celebrity anchors and executives from New York.”
Imagine having a skull thick enough in the liberal media and government to think moves like this won’t make people hate you even more than they already do.
