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

[LiquidJak]

Consider this:
If and when Obama wins, imagine the scope of that.
Never in recent history as a candidate been so ruthlessly vetted and yet still manage to come out on top. And be a minority at that.
It will be an incredible moment.
I shall sit looking at my window and think,
I saw this

[NTO08]

Not on American TV or radio, you won't!
Pulls this stunt, it's blank air for him!

[Carolab]

Pull the plug and it's blank air.

[dhertzfe]

If FAUX News does not have to pay triple, that would p!ss me off.

I agree, why should Obama have the tax payers or those who donated pay for election night? Go tell someone who cares.

[ExxonMcBushCo]

The next 2 weeks will shock you with the level to which they will stoop.

We've expected it, just keep fighting back.

I suggest fighting back on FoxNews.com or other rightie sites. Spread the truth and challenge these people. Today on Fox News the top blog post was "Who does Al Qaeda Want to Win?"

[folksonomy]

Can someone put these "charges" into perspective because the comments that are below the post are all "this is outrageous!" and "Obama's a liberal/socialist/capitalist", etc. ad nauseum.

What's the standard on Election Day coverage? What did Kerry/Edwards and Bush/Cheney charge in 2004? What about McCain/Palin?

[timmmahhhh]

Folksonomy, great level-headed rational non jump-to-conclusions response. This country would be a better place if more people thought things through before jumping to conclusions. I agree with you let's hear what is the precedence for such a scenario and then make a judgment.

Course with this you can't say that Obama is a socialist now!

[folksonomy]

Thank you! Well, as another commenter said earlier, it's like Tro//vi//e over at the article.

With two weeks left, the Big Top is in full-swing with the Carnies comin' out trying to get you to play their game(s)!

[ExxonMcBushCo]

Who would they rather pay for it? Taxpayers??

Spare me the crocodile tears!

[SouthPrairie]

Word. That would be socialist!!

[NTO08]

NO ONE PAYS to see him speak other than the idiots who gave him their 401Ks...

[Carolab]

Well, I guess he can get an audience from Hank Paulson, since that's who took them.

[SouthPrairie]

This is awesome!! I love Obama! The MSM has been feasting on him--Is he black enough? Is he too black? Is he an elite" Is he not quite ready? Blah, bla-blah, ba blah!! MAKE THOSE SUCKERS PAY. THEY HAVE BEEN BAD FOR AMERICA FOR YEARS NOW.

They can afford it with all of the money they've made on their Ayers reporting, and every stinking lame comment that the repukelicans have uttered that they've played over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over......

It's time to pay up for all that babyback bbq rib sauce dripping from your mouths.

YOU ARE SO SMART, WHICH IS WHY I HAVE ALREADY VOTED FOR YOU.

Obama/Biden '08

[NTO08]

Off air...not a minute of face time...that's what he will get, and deserve.

[Carolab]

Like SP deserves oodles and gobs of it...for what? I hear tell she BASHED the so-called "elite media" and yet her fugly face gets to be on my screen 24/7.

[8isEnoughPeriod]

I'm thrilled to find that the Campaign has such Business Sense.

GOBAMA 2008

[jt307]

It's funny that people are defending the media on this. The media complaining work for the same corporations sell space at premiums to both parties and rake in nearly a billion dollars during the election cycle on ads from the top of the ticket down. Now the campaigns as standard practice (see airline tickets, convention space etc) charge to cover expenses for the event and the media are being victimized? HAHAHA, only in our broken system.

[Viper]

A whole $900 when FOX can afford to pay O'Reilly 10 million a year? Why that is shocking.. dont you think US contributors are paying for the space the campaign is renting and then reselling...? Sounds like capitalism to me!

Regards

[Viper]

The trolls on the other site say that Obama charging and acting like a profiteer.. is proof he is a socialist... Do these guys even know what the word means? Nop!

900 bucks is not much for a news corporation to pay... a room and a meal in a NYC hotel can cost that much!

McCain charges $2k per day to be on his jet. A booth at a major conference in any City can cost 5 -10K per day!

They are not suppose to buy the Press... Thats unethical.. like giving bribes


Regards

[NTO08]

The press DOESN'T GET BOUGHT...an idea lost on you clowns, I guess...
Does UNETHICAL strike you as a problem?

Tabloids do this...maybe THE ENQUIRER or NEWS OF THE WORLD will cover these events and the rest of the media will stay away.

[Carolab]

Oh, so the media doesn't get "bought", huh? Look who controls it, buddy:

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/owners.html

[Mer Mer Mer]

Franken can win with Obama's help in MN:
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/78ktr/al_franken_d_will_become_minnesotas_next_senator/

[HillaryGoAway]

Boo. Frickin. Hoo. Things cost money. Maybe Lynn "cry baby" Sweet should do some investigating on the costs of putting together such a big event. She even states in her article that the O camp says they are just covering costs and will not turn a profit. Sounds reasonable. I guess she is not taking their word for it. If she thinks they're lying than she should come right out and say it. And of course provide proof thereof. Obviously she has no evidence that O's camp is up to something unseemly or she would absolutely be reporting it. So basically Sweet is using her very high profile news platform to do nothing more than WHINE. The Obama campaign has never coddled the media and they are not about to start now. Hats off to them!!!

[NTO08]

PAY TO PLAY isn't happening, jack--es...and with a stupid handle like you have, how am I surprised by such an inane comment that you make here?

Obama's off air...period...no compromises...he isn't worth paying for, anyway.

[Carolab]

Who the hell are you? The FCC Chairman?

[Missmn]

Fabulous. Absolutely perfect. I had to laugh at that author's complaint that not every outlet would require all of the ammenities. So what? It's more efficient to construct tents that are uniform and charge a uniform price. As far as complaints for paying the cost of setup, please. This campaign has spent how many millions of dollars on advertising? The media has been paid. They can afford to support themselves at this event.

[NTO08]

Welcome to Obama's assault on the Fourth Estate...

You people b--tched about what Bush did...this tops any of his nonsense by light years...they might do this in Caracas or Havana, but not in US...no one pays to see his boring a--.

[Carolab]

More like welcome to the Fourth Estate's assault on democracy.

[butterworth]

Setting this stuff up is not free, so why should our campaign contributions go to making sure the press is treated to a free VIP ride? All reporters need is access. They are there to REPORT, not to be wined and dined.

[bujeeboo]

The comments section of that article on the Chicago-Suntimes website is completely troll-ridden.

[Jason404]

I have not seen so many moronic comments at a news site.