{"id":90097,"date":"2021-02-05T11:19:24","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T16:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=90097"},"modified":"2021-02-05T11:19:30","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T16:19:30","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-wednesday-february-3rd-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=90097","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021…but before we begin, imagine the outrage if the actions of Team Trump<\/span><\/em> had generated this<\/span><\/em> headline:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Biden WH under fire for reportedly screening briefing questions<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

Press Secretary Jen Psaki formerly worked as CNN pundit<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

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“…When reached for comment, a White House spokesperson provided Fox News with the same statement in\u00a0the Daily Beast’s\u00a0report.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“Our goal is to make the daily briefing as useful and informative as possible<\/span><\/em> for both reporters and<\/em><\/span> the public.<\/span> Part of meeting that objective means regularly engaging with the reporters<\/em><\/span> who will be in the briefing room to understand how the White House can be most helpful in getting them the information they need<\/span><\/em>. That two-way conversation<\/span><\/em> is an important part of keeping the American people updated about how government is serving them<\/em><\/span>,” the White House spokesperson said<\/span><\/strong>.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Two-way conversation” with reporters prior to<\/span><\/em> the press briefing?\u00a0 Since when<\/span><\/em>?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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To the undying disgrace of the “expert” class, what follows is, if anything, more incredible than what came before:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Psaki, a former CNN pundit who is typically praised by the mainstream media, needs to tread lightly if<\/span><\/em> she\u2019s probing reporters for the wrong<\/span><\/em> reasons, according to DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>“The White House press office needs to balance this matter carefully.<\/span>\u00a0It does<\/span><\/em> make\u00a0sense, on one<\/span><\/em> level, for the press secretary to be prepared in advance to best respond to topics on reporters’ minds. On the other<\/span><\/em> hand, gathering questions in advance<\/span> could well appear<\/span><\/em> to veteran reporters that press secretary Psaki is pre-screening questions or pre-preparing spin<\/span><\/em>,” McCall told Fox News.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“Every press briefing is a risk situation for the White House and Psaki should<\/span><\/em>, indeed<\/span><\/em>, want to be responsive and prepared<\/span><\/em> for reporter questions. The key<\/span><\/em> here, it seems, is whether this process is being used to stage the briefings or simply to prepare for them<\/span><\/em>.”<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

McCall feels it would be excusable<\/span><\/em> if reporters are<\/span><\/em> asked for questions\u00a0in advance “merely<\/span><\/em> as a way to get a heads-up and gather information in advance” for the purpose of providing responsive answers<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>“If<\/span><\/em>, however, the process is designed to duck the tough questions or prepare rhetorical cover<\/span><\/em>, then the risk factor\u00a0is eliminated and the pressers look staged<\/em><\/span>,” McCall said<\/strong><\/span>…”<\/p>\n

Seriously, if Jeffrey McCall thinks only veteran reporters<\/span><\/em>\u00a0might find the gathering of questions in advance not merely highly suspect<\/span><\/em>, but concrete evidence of a design to duck tough questions<\/span><\/em>…<\/strong><\/p>\n

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…and better spin responses, he’s not a “media critic”, but a shill for the Dimocratic Party.\u00a0 Thus the fact FOX quotes him<\/span><\/em> speaks volumes<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

More<\/em><\/span> importantly, if the process is<\/em><\/span> “designed to duck the tough questions or prepare rhetorical cover”…which it most manifestly is<\/em><\/span><\/span>…<\/span>the pressers don’t merely look<\/span><\/em> staged, they are<\/span><\/em> staged!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most<\/span><\/em> importantly, despite\u00a0all its vast resources and practically unlimited budget, still<\/span><\/em> FOX<\/em> conveniently\u00a0failed<\/span> to communicate<\/span><\/em>…<\/strong><\/p>\n