Obama lied, transparency died – White House bans San Francisco Chron reporter for videotaping protesters, then threatens other reporters

Most open, high-tech, accessible administration….(n)ever.

Yes, it’s true. The social media-darling-in-chief has banned a San Francisco Chronicle reporter for using her cell phone to capture video of left-wing protesters at the Bay Area Obama fundraiser earlier this week.

Banned.

The White House press shop refuses to comment on the record about it — and, no surprise, other reporters have apparently been threatened for talking about the banishment.

SFChronicle’s Phil Bronstein reports:

The hip, transparent and social media-loving Obama administration is showing its analog roots. And maybe even some hypocrisy highlights.

White House officials have banished one of the best political reporters in the country from the approved pool of journalists covering presidential visits to the Bay Area for using now-standard multimedia tools to gather the news.

The Chronicle’s Carla Marinucci – who, like many contemporary reporters, has a phone with video capabilities on her at all times – pulled out a small video camera last week and shot some protesters interrupting an Obama fundraiser at the St. Regis Hotel.

She was part of a “print pool” – a limited number of journalists at an event who represent their bigger hoard colleagues – which White House press officials still refer to quaintly as “pen and pad” reporting.

But that’s a pretty Flintstones concept of journalism for an administration that presents itself as the Jetsons.

Here’s the kicker:

via Michelle Malkin » Obama lied, transparency died, Part 9,999.

Related Articles

• Pardon the interruption – NYC hecklers distract Obama (politico.com)
• Obama’s semi-opaque transparency (politico.com)