Tuesday, November 26, 2013

USA Today Refuses to Publish Staged WH Photos


In recent weeks, there has been a revolt within the mainstream media among photojournalists who are’t happy with their bosses reprinting the staged propaganda photos produced by the White House. The White House has increasingly limited access to photojournalists, instead reserving access to the President for the official White House photographer Pete Souza.  

Poynter News:
In a memo to staff Sunday, USA Today Deputy Director of Multimedia Andrew P. Scott said the news organization will not use “handout photos originating from the White House Press Office, except in very extraordinary circumstances. USA Today owner Gannett was among the organizations that protested the White House’s clampdown on photographers’ access to the president last week.
The Associated Press sometimes distributes handout photos when “something newsworthy or notable happens” in “certain areas of the White House are off-limits to the media, but in general it views such photos as “visual press releases." Media organizations generally do not reproduce written press releases verbatim, so why should we settle for these official images?”
Guess that ring in the nose the media has been led around by for so long is starting to hurt..... 

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