CBS’ Mark Knoller took to Twitter yesterday, and he was a bit perturbed. Why? The Gridiron Dinner.
Funny that journalists complain about the transparency of the WH but are hosting a dinner tonight(Gridiron Dinner)at which they ban cameras.
— #BobbysDaughter?????? (@Mama4Obama1) March 10, 2013
Journalists who won't allow Obama's remarks to be filmed. // D.C.'s Gridiron Club on the griddle, again @DylanByers http://t.co/8TLBV8NhLn
— Anne Cronin (@annecronin) March 8, 2013
Transparency? That goes by the wayside when there is a fancy pants beltway dinner to be had. Cameras were banned, and only the “print pooler” was allowed to report on the president’s remarks. Gov. Jindal may have killed it at the dinner, but Mark Knoller killed it on Twitter.
No excuse again this year for Gridiron Dinner to exclude all but one member of the WH press pool from covering Pres Obama’s remarks tonight.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
Only the “print pooler” will be allowed to hear and report on the president’s remarks, others incl TV & radio are barred.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
Again this year, even C-Span’s request to cover the Gridiron Dinner was rejected.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
Recall the outcry last month when that Florida golf club barred the WH press pool from the grounds where Pres Obama was playing.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
Yes, remember that? Journalists were in a tizzy over their lack of access to President Obama during his golf outing with Tiger Woods.
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It’s far worse when a press group like the Gridiron decides to bar full coverage by the WH press pool of its annual event.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
There are journalist members of the Gridiron I know and greatly respect.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
But shame on the dinner for barring coverage of a presidential appearance by C-Span and the full WH press pool.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 9, 2013
Boom.
Reporters at USA Today and The Washington Post seems to agree with Knoller’s sentiments.
.@markknoller notes press restrictions for Gridiron dinner. Aren't we the same guys whining about not being able to see Tiger-Obama golf?
— jim welch (@jimwelchvt) March 9, 2013
I am a member of #Gridiron, and I agree we are long overdue to open the politicians' speeches there to cameras. @cspan
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) March 10, 2013
Twitter users also agree, and thank Mr. Knoller for speaking out.
@markknoller Geez Mark, Obama was supposed to be the most transparent Pres ever? Maybe you have time to investigate #Benghazi now?
— JLH (@redwings924) March 9, 2013
@markknoller Unlike the rest of the year, the Gridiron group is up front about being in the tank. Thank you for shining a light on truth.
— DCD (@DCDude1776) March 10, 2013
@markknoller #POTUS = Anakin Skywalker; WH press pool = Trade Federation leaders. You're waiting on Mustafar for further instructions.
— Herr Vorragend and 4,213 others (@schechen93) March 9, 2013
@markknoller I appreciate you doing this Mark.
— PolitiSite – #2020Electon (@Politisite) March 9, 2013
@markknoller my thoughts are Obama Admin should have said, where I go, the pool follows. Transparency right?
— PolitiSite – #2020Electon (@Politisite) March 9, 2013
@markknoller I think you are all being punished. Don't feel bad, the rest of us are too…though we still don't know why. #closedWH
— Nancy (@LogicalDame) March 9, 2013
@markknoller No better illustration of the incestuous Beltway bubble insider culture than this club and its annual dinner IMO.
— Libby Spencer (@libbyspencer) March 9, 2013
Bingo.
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