In a new interview with ABC News' Jon Karl, White House press secretary Jay Carney hit back at recent criticism of the Obama administration's relationship with the press.
Speaking to Al Jazeera America last week, New York Times editor Jill Abramson called the current administration out for its treatment of reporters. "This is the most secretive White House that, at least as a journalist, I have ever dealt with," she said, citing the administration's multiple leaks investigations.
Karl raised the issue with Carney in an interview that aired on Sunday's "This Week."
"You covered White Houses as a reporter with Time magazine," Karl said. “So would Jay Carney, reporter, correspondent, bureau chief for Time magazine, be satisfied with the level of openness and transparency of this White House?"
"Jay Carney, reporter, would never be satisfied with the amount of information that any White House or any congressional office..."
"So Jay Carney would fight with Jay Carney," Karl suggested.
"Well, what I would tell you is that you and all of your colleagues and my former colleagues in the press absolutely have to be beating on us and others around Washington to get as much information as you can," Carney responded. "And I strongly disagree with that statement. I know from experience that it's wrong. And, you know, we provide an extraordinary amount of information and access to reporters. And we work every day to provide more.“
Carney's comments come on the heels of NBC News' Chuck Todd saying, in response to Abramson's statement, that he believes the White House is "very controlling" of its relationship with the media. The administraton has come under fire from journalists for its aggressive war against leaks, as well as limits on photo access to the president.