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Journo: like porno, minus the documentary aspect

So according to the New York Times, Prince Bunnypants is having reporters in to the White House for some informal chats. He's issuing them kneepads and nicknames and doing the other little things that will keep them good and subservient. Naturally, whatever they're talking about is off the record. This asshole thinks it's peachy:

"David Bohrman, the Washington bureau chief for CNN, one of whose reporters attended a session, said they were a good idea.

"'Most of the time, the environments that our reporters deal with the president in are very structured, very managed, and they rarely get to just kick back and have a conversation,' he said. 'I think there's a lot of value in it for both sides.' "

Dave must've gotten a really cute nickname. The value in it for the reporters is mostly that sort of thing, and maybe photo ops and dinner-party chat for later. "When I was at the White House the other day...."

You can be absolutely certain that not one of Ms. Huffington's 20 tough questions were asked, alluded to, thought about, and certainly not answered, during these Royal Audiences. I would bet the national debt that the Downing Street Memo didn't come up. How can we know this? Because, according to Dave, "Mr. Bush does better in such informal sessions than in formal presentations."

As Goethe said: The journalists do not speak the language, and in journalese you cannot tell them so.

posted by Kalkaino @ 1:00 PM