Obama Campaign To Charge News Outlets For Election Night Coverage

Chicago Sun-Times:

WASHINGTON---The Obama campaign is putting a hefty price tag on the best camera and reporting positions for news organizations covering Barack Obama's outdoor election night activities in downtown Chicago. If a reporter wants access to the file center--which will be the best place to find Obama officials and spokesmen--be prepared to write a check for $935. The cheapest place a reporter could stand on a riser with a view is $880.

That $935 covers one reporter in a heated file tent, power, cable tv, internet and food. I am told by an Obama spokesman who did not want his name used that this just covers costs and they are not turning a profit on this. The planners could have built in more al a carte options for Grant Park coverage.

This is an outrageous pay to play plan that caters to national elite outlets with deep pockets.

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[sbelle40]

Um....hellloooo? Obama has paid millions and millions for ads on THEIR networks at exorbitant prices? It seems reasonable their costs should be reimbursed back for election night access.

C'mon people...this is SUCH a nonissue.

[HallStyle]

What a great argument! Besides if he has any left from covering cost he will probably give it to charity.

http://www.hallstyle.blogspot.com

[amcg50]

Sorry to say but, I do feel a little uneasy about this. Why give the Right wing this kind of issue to use at this time?

[lis60]

they are going crazy in their comments on the real article.Take a look, we should all write things there as well as here........

[Carolab]

I tried that, but apparently Lynn doesn't allow an "opposing" or rational point of view.

[nomobull]

150,00 DOLLAR SHOPPING SPREE

[HowIronic]

The Right can't say anything about this because they have been beating on the media all election cycle.

[artsandminds]

What are you talking about, the MSM have been making money hand over fist during this election. They charge millions for coverage, ads, debates,...etal. and all they need to get that money is give airtime, no real production fees, only a bean counter to collect the money. Stop being played by the media, they will get theirs and hopefully once in office Obama will do the same thing to the oil companies, coal companies, lumber....and be the same type of proponant for our (US citizens)just compensation. Time will tell

[thecwexperience]

It's not an issue...The GOP is just using 'the cost of doing business' as a backdoor negative campaigning tactic...

[wendynyc]

If this is how he has run his campaign - can you imagine how he will run the country~

I'm impressed!

[isis]

It was the Republicans who pushed for media consolidation and if McCain wins he will toss out Net Neutrality. I'm glad to see the media brining up media issues.

[athenasword]

I disagree with the writer when he says "This is an outrageous pay to play plan that caters to national elite outlets with deep pockets". For what will be an incredible night of coverage - win or lose - $935 is not alot for a news org to pay. Especially if they are getting taken care of with food, power, heat and internet access. I call that smart business, forward thinking and hospitality. They are taking good care of people who will have a long, long night of work ahead of them.

Team O really handles the details. They are a first class operation.

[PatrickforO]

Ordinarily I would agree with the author, but these are extraordinary times. Our national debt will likely be near $12 trillion by the end of Obama's first year in office, and government needs to get in the habit of being fiscally responsible. Recovering costs for perks that are nice but not strictly necessary is something all of us in government at federal, state or local levels are going to need to do. We can't afford otherwise if we are to be good public stewards of your tax dollars (and your donations, in this case). By the way, the article implies that charging such a fee may exhibit ingratitude. After having lived through the ongoing media coverage of Obama's campaign, I ask what does he have to be grateful for when it concerns the media?

[ktomas]

Looks like capitalism at work to me. Good for him.

By comparison, Palin still probably won't talk to the press even if she actually wins the office she's running for.

[Warmglobe]

Iguess if you want to be near the Messiah you have to be willing to pay

[LiberalDemIda]

Hate to burst your bubble but Jesus never had to pay for electricity and space so no, Warmglobe, the people back them didn't have to pay to be near him.

However, the Obama campaign IS being charged for space and electricity and as a good steward of the people's hard-earned, non-tax deductible donations, ensures WE won't have to foot the bill for those for-profit "news" corporations that have already made millions over the past 20 months off of him. I don't think $935 dollars will bankrupt them, do you?

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[sg096]

this is is a lot less then the 15 million dollar price tag for the emails from sarah to dude

[shades3]

That's true sgo96. AND they're REDACTED. Talk about paying for a pig in a poke.
They saw a chance to rip off anyone who had the nerve to find out just what Todd's role [unelected] was, or will be when they get back to Alaska in November, if there's a God.
Add that to the bill for all the travel for Palin's family, PLUS the almost $200,000 the campaign paid for all the f*^k me high-heels and designer duds and this will be a really expensive and embarrassing goof for McCain.
WHEW!!

[sunny555]

I read the other day that the O campaign raked in $130 million in the month of September alone. Seems to me they have enough money without having to shake down news outlets for more.

[Krikkit]

You forget Obama still needs a war chest for 2012. He'll have a much harder time 2nd term, that much is sure. We most likely won't be able to rescue the economy completely in 4 years, so he knows that issue will haunt voters.

Press always pays for access to cover costs. Costs of this venue are no doubt high because of the size of the place. And never forget the news outlet that has the best access to coverage will rake in the dough from sponsors due to the ratings bump. Obama isn't hurting them in the least.

If Obama simply gave away access willy-nilly to thos 5 and 10 dollar donors the Rethugs are pointing at, you bet the media outlets that got shoved aside would be questioning his "socialist" values. This is a non-story.

[isis]

He doesn't take PAC money and he needs to be thrifty.

[NJ13]

With the overheaul they brought in in September, the opening budget for the month is only $125M. you have to remember it is not cheap to run commercials on television. The campaign will run through what was collected in September by the end of the month.

They are only being asked to help pay for the additional expense, especially with an outdoor event in Chicago in November. I do not see how this is wrong.

[JScott]

Of course for Fox News the rate will be higher.

[LiberalDemIda]

It should be QUADRUPLED.

GObama/Biden '08/'12!

[RichardSau]

Thank you, no free rides off contributors or taxpayers.

[njsmith]

Wonder what McCain's election night prices are?

[Krikkit]

Wonder who the sorry losers are that will have to cover his sorry arse.

[Softnsweet]

I cannot believe that Lynn Sweet is complaining or anyone from the MSM. They made money off of Obama for the last 20 months Why does he have to pay for them to trash him more. MSM does not get a free pass. I would charge them to.

[greginwva]

This is a non story,or at least should be.

[TallGrrl]

I wish people would GET A FRACKING DICTIONARY and look up the word "SOCIALISM".
I know what it is. I can read. I've known what that word means since I in Junior High...back in the Hippy Days.
I've heard people throw that word around and every time I do, I say: "Wait. Hold up. What does that word mean?"
I've done that to at least 5 or 6 people (since McCain started spewing it).
Do you know what? NO ONE COULD TELL ME.
And my reply is always: "If you don't know what it is....then maybe you shouldn't be talking about it, until you do. Get a dictionary...look it up...then come back and we can finish this conversation."
That's when I walk away.

[Krikkit]

And it's such a simple definition! A socialist is someone who ascribes to the notion that the means of production must be held by the government. Nationalized factories, banks, mining companies, etc. Government owns everything.

Socialism as a form of government and as the bogey man went out of vogue when the Soviet Union collapsed and the cold war ended. It's been discredited and no one with any knowledge about economic systems would ascribe to it. Even China is desperately trying to find ways to shut down their state-owned money-losing businesses without completely starving their people to death. But these people who claim Obama is a socialist probably never got the email even if they know what Socialism is.

[obamasOHangel]

I paid $500 for two second row seats at a Steelers game this past weekend. I would triple that to pay for what Barack is offering the wealthy media outlets.

[Softnsweet]

Obama should give Air America, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann a free pass.

[Krikkit]

Nah, he's not a panderer to his supporters. Besides that would undermine everything he stands for, which is to give access to even his enemies for the chance to talk directly to them as well as to our friends.