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A WHCA Shakeup Has Many Upset, and the Press Is Again Bothered a Press Member Gets a White House Gig

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Feb 25, 2025
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Reporting on the Mirror – WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION

  • You maybe could use a better argument.

The White House made the announcement today that it was stripping the press pool assignments responsibility away from the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA). That body has long been the one to determine which reporters are included in the pool that covers external events, as well as the clutch that rides on Air Force One and is in attendance for the frequent Oval Office informal pressers President Donald Trump has favored.

It cannot be determined if this is a direct side effect of the recent uproar involving the Associated Press becoming ostracized from the pool over a disagreement with the administration, but it stands to reason that had to be an influence in this decision.

We would probably side with the WHCA on this one, or at least encourage that the outfit worked on creating a rotating pool of journos. But when you consider this reaction from former WHCA President Tamara Keith, you might start to lean toward the White House on this one.

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“Independent,” you say? The group that has done nothing for the past four years but submit questions provided to former President Joe Biden, agree to choreographed press conferences, and regurgitate fed talking points has behaved as anything but “independent.”

Low-Octane Gaslighting – THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • Great point, Peter, so long as we forget last year.

Another one upset with this decision was Peter Baker. He tried to liken this decision to what he witnessed with the Kremlin press corps.

Speaking of reminding, we need to see to it that Mr. Baker recalls the first half of 2024. See, that would be when the compliant White House press corps dutifully told us Joe Biden was “sharp,” parroting the staff insistence that he was a mental dynamo in private, and even attacking accurate reports of President Silver Alert’s condition as “cheap fakes,” using the administration talking point.

It took the live presidential debate, not reporters, for the truth on Biden’s condition to reach the general public.

Reporting on the Mirror – POLITICO

  • Moving deck chairs.

Speaking of the WHCA, current president Eugene Daniels is leaving his gig at Politico, where he was a key contributor to its popular “Playbook.”

The word is he is setting his sights on a new gig at the currently revamping MSNBC. We find this curious, as we have been told that the network is racist, following its removal of a number of POC individuals from the airwaves.

Prose & Contradiction – MSNBC

  • You keep saying she was a vital pundit, and yet…

In the wake of the announcement that Joy Reid was fired from MSNBC, a flood of voices have come out to tout the hostess and declare what an important role she served. While some of this is expected from sycophants, the sheer amount of insistence that this was a grand show and Reid is a needed presence is defied by a simple reality:

Where were these people when it came to watching her show? The ratings show she was not even considered this important by MSNBC viewers.

Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • Seems he was only valid in one profession.

President Trump has chosen Dan Bongino to be Deputy Director of the FBI, and there is no surprise at all that this would set off the media, but in the wave of contempt there was a distinct pattern: Bongino is only recognizable in one fashion, and any possible qualifications need not be mentioned.

Of course, it needs to be said, evidenced by the rather limited focus of the press, that Bongino does have extensive experience as a New York City police officer as well as being a longtime U.S. Secret Service agent and instructor, who has worked directly alongside FBI agents in investigations.

Low-Octane Gaslighting – BBC

  • Did not expect this from the pro-Hamas network.

We covered last week how the BBC put out a documentary that supposedly shows the strife inside of Gaza. It was learned the young boy featured in the doc was the son of a high-placed Hamas figure.

Well, now things have become worse. Two other figures in the film had similar connections, and a cameraman was found to be a sympathizer with the terror group. The British government is now exploring repercussions for using taxpayer money that went to a terrorist organization.

As a result of the fiasco being exposed, the BBC, after first adding a disclaimer to its film, has now pulled down the video entirely and is conducting internal investigations into how any of this has been allowed.