Scott McClellan: White House Press Briefing Is Obsolete

Asked by TNR to offer some advice to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, former Press Secretary Scott McClellan makes the provocative suggestion that the whole briefing ritual is passe:

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Mahi Joe]

OMG how are these reporters going to justify their seven figure salaries? Unless there is someone to spoon feed these reporters their stories, these poor people might just have to get off their arses and actually work? OH NOoooo!

[mergina]

Another THING that is now obsolete or wrong because there is a black man in the oval office.

[JScott]

Yup as other commenters on the link write it's just something to fill cable news.
But in terms of acutal 'news' content there is not much there.
And yup it could just be emailed out.

[DennyCrane]

The headline should say "Mainstream press is obsolete."

[brit prof]

He's right. What you need is something like we have in the UK, "Prime Minister's Questions". It's a radical idea: The PM, (in your case it would be the President/Majority Leader in the Senate/HORs) has to answer questions from members of Parliament (Senate/House of Reps.). He does not have knowledge of the questions in advance and they can be on any topic. The session lasts for about 30 minutes once a week. It used to be twice a week but PM Blair cut it back to one. (I wonder why...).
THAT would be much more useful and a better way of keeping the administration in check. If you've never seen PM Q's, here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpVycRpa2L8

It's still a lot of "politics first" but it's better than nothing.

[JScott]

I've seen that on CSPAN and it's very interesting.
And yup it should be in this country.

[Colmore]

It was obsolete even before the WH had Jeff Gannon appear as a legitimate journalist. They were making a mockery of the entire process. The fact that no REAL journalists spoke up, asking who he was and why he was there made the briefings a joke. Who was Jeff Gannon visiting at the WH all those times? An honest to goodness journalist would have made it their business to find out all about the guy, why he had a press pass, where he came from, etc.

[weatherwaxx]

Too many words in the headline.

Scott McClellan .... Is Obsolete

[springsm]

McClellan might be right. From what I see, a question is asked and already the journalists are putting their own spin on what the answer might be or means. They are not there to report news or ideas, they are there representing themselves and their next "story". Fake as all get out. And that little Ed Henry shows his colors every damn time and his maturity level.

[bluguy8]

well after the GOP lie after lie fest --of course its over. Now its time for the truth

[senorlou]

How about changing that to, "American People: ' The Republican Party is Obsolete.'

[johnnyjust]

I agree, the White House Press is obsolete.

[Azmom]

He should know....NEXT!

[wadenelson1]

It only became obsolete when every word offered by the prior administration was either a lie or completely useless information.

[Tulka2]

McClellean is correct. I am a political junkie and i cannot watch the White House press briefings. Why bother? At best it's full of inside the belt-way jostling, inside jokes, etc. At worst it's a puppet show. The Pentegon model he suggests might actually produce real new information. That, i would watch.

[Budokan]

Republicans are also obsolete. Can we get rid of them, too?