Jake Tapper Challenges White House Over Fox News Claims

Jake Tapper Challenges White House Over Fox News Claims

ABC News' Jake Tapper challenged White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Tuesday over the White House's claims that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization (transcript via ABCNews):

Tapper: It's escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations "not a news organization" and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it's appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one -

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that's a pretty sweeping declaration that they are "not a news organization." How are they any different from, say -

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o'clock tonight. Or 5 o'clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I'm not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I'm talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a "news organization" -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That's our opinion.

"Hundreds of journalists come to work each day at FOX News all deeply committed to their craft," Fox News' Senior Vice President of News, Michael Clemente, said in response to Gibbs' comments. "It's disappointing that the White House would be so dismissive of their fine work and continue their vengeful war against a news organization."

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot