At the 4 p.m. AOL News meeting, we discussed coverage of President Bush's televised White House address to the American people.
Our news blog, The Daily Pulse feature was already built out earlier. Having done this so many times before, the plan went like this:
My co-worker Nikki Wagner was working the frame-grabbing machine, tuned to CNN television. Two minutes into the speech she grabbed video stills from the broadcast. I treated the image and had the captions ready to publish it on the AOL News main page.
This was done during the first 10 minutes of the speech.
Next, I waited for the first real photo to be transmitted on the wire news agencies: Associated Press, Reuters, Getty News. Photographers are usually not allowed into the room during the live televised portion of the President's speech. Immediately following the conclusion of the televised speech, the President then sits at the desk for a photo session This has been the protocol for many years.
However yesterday, by 9:40 PM, 20 minutes after the speech ended, we still saw no actual photographic images of the speech on any of the wire services.
I placed a call to the AP National Photo Supervisor in New York, asking when we would see the actual photos. The supervisor told me, "There will not be any." The President had denied the White House still photographers POOL access, before during or after the speech. White House handout photos by Presidential photographer Eric Draper would be made available to the press.
AP, Getty, and Reuters jointly agree to boycott this. I find this rather interesting and I believe it may be unprecedented.
Below are examples of how coverage was handled by various news agencies:
AOL used this video frame grab from a CNN broadcast:
President Bush speaks from the White House in Washington said Wednesday he will send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq.
Both AP and Reuters ran similar quality video-frame images on their services. Getty did not run the speech at all.
Here are AP and Reuters Advisory:
AP PHOTO ADVISORY
EDITORS AND PHOTO EDITORS: Still photographers were not permitted access before, during or after President Bush's televised address from the White House library, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007. AP Photos NY201-205 are frame grabs from Associated Press Television and have been transmitted to all points. (AP Photos)
Reuters News Pictures. Advisory - COVERAGE
Reuters News Pictures regrets that due to restrictions imposed by the White House Reuters will not be able to provide still photographs from President Bush's White House address on Iraq. News photographers were not allowed to photograph the President before, during or after his address. Television frame grabs from the pool video of the speech have been transmitted.
Getty had this:
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 10: Evening settles over the White House January 10, 2007 in Washington, DC. U.S. President George W. Bush will address the nation this evening on his latest strategy in Iraq. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
What do you think of the White House's restrictions on photographers?
- Guy
12 comments:
Of course I don't like it worth a dam when PJs are denied when they try to do their jobs, but nothing ""the decider"" does surprises me.
This just gets curiouser and curiouser--something is going on with this guy--this is the most secretive administration in history.
when you think about it...he's just finally starting to treat the press the way he's treated most of the country all along: acting like we don't matter Does the man have any idea that SOME of us actually pay taxes and THAT's what pays for his house, his helicopters, his entourage?????
OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKES! Can people stop bashing Bush for 2 seconds? He is doing all he can. So fricking what if you big babies couldn't take his picture? It is not for anyone to question what photo decisions are made by the White House. Would any of you want your picture taken in mid-sentence. Everyone has a right to decline to have their picture taken at any given time.
As usual this "President" and I use the term loosely, does exactly as he pleases. I can only hope all the Bush supporters will follow him into purgatory when the roll is called. They have followed him blindly and will see no wrong in his actions. 3,ooo innocent American service people have paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. How many more? I vote and pay taxes try to obey the laws but then I am not an elected official. Different standard apply.
He has always been a man with something to hide and it gets worse, this is not our white house it is his!
I am appalled by many things that have been overlooked or condoned by both the judicial and legislative branches in their utter failure to rein in our reigning Chief Executive who I believe suffers from both low IQ, arrogence & megalomania.
He must live in an alternative universe! He sneers at the advice of the joint chiefs,7 of 10 Citizens and then zero of 100 Senators backs him on Iraq 'plan'! If he keeps committing crimes against humanity, he may find himself spending a retirement year or two in The Hague being tried for war crimes. ( If only)
this is in response to the person who posted "he is trying to do the best he can" - unfortunately, it isn't much. If this is his best, I'm glad we are not being subjected to his worse! Can you imagine how horrendous that would be!
This is the way, "he" thinks he is going to control the world and to get back at US citizens for the war protest.. We don't need an anti-Christ. We already have one that is disregarding the wishes of the good ol' USA.
IS THE PRESS GETTING READY TO ASSURE THEIR DEMOCRATIC LIBERAL COHORTS SUCESS IN 2008? SO BLATANLY OBVIOUS. JAK
i think that bush is the antichrist he started a war for no reason and the american people keep letting him fill his pockets full of money while we pay for it. He does anything he wants hell he makes his own laws. Dude has to much power
ＶＥＲＹ ＧＯＯＤ！
白宫很神奇！
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