We were as surprised as anybody today to learn that "making yourself the story in the briefing room" at the White House is a bad thing now.
Reporter Simon Ateba's approach in the briefing room caught the attention of the Washington Post's media reporter, and not in a good way:
Simon Ateba, the White House reporter who makes himself the story in the briefing room. Something I wrote: https://t.co/ZtE298AU3j
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) July 8, 2023
Here's how the story begins:
Simon Ateba was at it again the other week. As White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed journalists during her daily briefing, Ateba spoke up, out of turn. He was a victim, he insisted, of “discrimination” because Jean-Pierre hadn’t called on him to ask a question.
Jean-Pierre frowned wearily. “If this continues, we’re going to end the press briefing,” she said, as Ateba’s fellow reporters began to argue with him. “You’re being incredibly rude.”
The brief outburst wasn’t unusual. On several occasions over the past year, Ateba has interrupted Jean-Pierre and her predecessor, Jen Psaki, to demand that he be called on. In March, he interrupted a briefing room photo op with the cast of “Ted Lasso” to insist that Jean-Pierre take his question. His complaint was met with shouts of “Let it go!” and “Decorum, please!” from his fellow journalists.
A reporter making him or herself "the story" is bad now apparently, which leads to a question:
Hi Paul. What changed? pic.twitter.com/fK1PUpaTHd
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 8, 2023
This line in the Post story is particularly amazing: "He (Ateba) interrupted a briefing room photo op with the cast of 'Ted Lasso' to insist that Karine Jean-Pierre take his question."
That makes somebody look bad, but it's NOT Ateba.
Meanwhile, Jim Acosta practically turned cartwheels while wearing a clown nose at the White House (and elsewhere) for years and the lib media never slammed him for making himself the story.
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) July 8, 2023
https://t.co/O3zLiO7lsH pic.twitter.com/Enc3VOXGBe
— Matthew D. Dempster (@dempstermd) July 8, 2023
You absolute clowns pic.twitter.com/YyeZ0i8zUq
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) July 8, 2023
Comical pic.twitter.com/h0tRBhhDOA
— Grn (@GrnMtnBoys) July 8, 2023
Wasn’t this tool praised for doing that daily? pic.twitter.com/A2oh6zKJsf
— Pauly in Indy (@paulytwall) July 8, 2023
Why yes -- yes he was. And Acosta even got a book about his harrowing experience during the "dangerous time to tell the truth in America."
@PressSec made Simon Ateba the story by ignoring and silencing him, not the other way around.
— Smells Like Teen Statism (@BlueEightySix) July 8, 2023
The media conclusion of all this would be clear if a Right-leaning outlet slammed a Left-leaning WH journo of color:
WaPo is obviously racist.
— John M. Cameron (@johnrockshomes) July 8, 2023
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