Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Report Finds White House Stifling Journalism
BOSTON (CBS) - This is a remarkable story when you consider how often we hear stories of the Obama administration being in bed with the news media.
That was the mantra when I covered the White House, especially when Obama was first elected and we were sharing space in the west wing with the likes of People Magazine and Access Hollywood.
But it may be time for a new mantra after reading the first study into press freedoms under the Obama White House conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
It was written by a former executive editor of the Washington Post - a paper said to be under Obama's spell.
The report concludes this White House has had a chilling effect on journalism thanks to an unprecedented number of prosecutions of government sources and seizures of reporters' records.
As a result, sources are shutting down and not talking to reporters for fear they be prosecuted.
This of course after the president promised to have the most open and transparent administration in history.
And to be fair the administration has processed a record number of Freedom of Information requests and has improved transparency in lobbying and spending.
But, this White House has also found more ways to work around the press by using social media and its own network of web sites. It's even created its own online newscast to deliver its message without a filter.
And while these methods may be new, trying to avoid the press is not. And it's a strategy that has never worked for anyone.
Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz.
