Tuesday, October 20, 2009

ABC's Tapper asks Gibbs: Who are you to decide what constitutes a news organization?


ABC's Jake Tapper had to nerve to challenge President Obama's spokesman about the outrageous charge that Fox News is not a news organization.

From NewsBusters:
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.

Thank you Mr. Tapper.

1 comment:

Timeshare Jake said...

Tapper's looking at other opportunities; perhaps a switch to Fox News one day. :)

Overall, I like Tapper. I think he at least asks some tough questions.