Obama Plants Question, Undermines Freedom of the Press

President Barack Obama planted two questioners in his press conference on Tuesday making a mockery of this nation’s free press. The “journalists” in question, Nico Pitney of the The Huffington Post and Macarena Vidal of the Spanish-language EFE news agency, were contacted by White House staff and asked to attend yesterday’s press conference, the Washington Post reported.

Pitney was even escorted into the press briefing room by White House staff who “asked him to come up with a question about Iran proposed by an Iranian.”

This is something that the Left and members of liberal media outlets often accused the Bush Administration of doing in order to control the debate and receive favorable coverage. Of course, for all his failings, Bush never actually planted reporters in a briefing and called on them to ask him prepared questions.

The American press is meant to serve as a watchdog protecting the interests of the American people within the halls of power. By subverting the watchdog nature of the press and seeking to turn a press briefing into a managed stunt, the Obama Administration is attacking the very foundations of this country’s liberty.

It’s countries like Russia and Iran that have state-owned media, not the United States. But as disgusting as Obama’s conduct was, it’s the actions of the questioners that was most shameful.

Obama only carried this off with the cooperation of Pitney and Vidal and their willingness to go along with such a sham demonstrates their total lack of journalistic ethics.

This is a warning to the American press and the people they serve that the Obama Administration knows no bounds in attempting to manage public perception. The Administration’s actions Tuesday were duplicitous and categorically un-American.

Obama should personally apologize for this stunt and the aides who arranged it should be immediately fired. The “reporters” who took part in this Soviet-esque public theater should be dismissed by their employers and shunned by their profession.

Most importantly, the American press should be vigilant and refuse to participate in any future press conferences where these tactics are utilized.