The Media Has a Collective Freakout Because Obama Doesn't Hand Them Stories on a Silver Platter

Some in the mainstream media have had it with the Obama administration's lack of transparency. They've had it with this administration not being open enough to the media and to journalists. They've had it with the White House's use of social media to shape the conversation. No, it's not because they're pissed that we don't get the full story on drone strikes. No, it's not because they're pissed that the White House isn't responsive on questions of NDAA and indefinite detention.

It's because they're pissed that they weren't notified that President Obama went out golfing with Tiger Woods and, as a result, couldn't be there to report on it.

In the midst of all of this, Politico has discovered the art of PR:

But something is different with this White House. Obama’s aides are better at using technology and exploiting the president’s “brand.” They are more disciplined about cracking down on staff that leak, or reporters who write things they don’t like. And they are obsessed with taking advantage of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and every other social media forums, not just for campaigns, but governing.

They've also discovered that–gasp!–this White House has pioneered the use of social media to advance its goals:

“They use every technique anyone has ever thought of, and some no one ever had,” New York Times White House reporter Peter Baker told us. 

Even worse, it turns out that the Obama administration doesn't do interviews for the sake of the media, but for their own interests:

“This administration loves to boast about how transparent they are, but they’re transparent about things they want to be transparent about,” said Mark Knoller, the veteran CBS News reporter. “He gives interviews not for our benefit, but to achieve his objective.” Knoller last talked to Obama in 2010 — and that was when Knoller was in then-press secretary Robert Gibbs’s office, and the president walked in.

Wait, what? You mean a politician is out to advance his own objectives and not to enhance the career of the reporters covering him? Horrifying. Can't believe it.

Perhaps if the mainstream media had already figured all of this out long ago, they wouldn't have wasted the last two days covering this colossal non-story. Yes, presidential administrations like to control the narrative. Yes, politicians are only going to give you the information they want you to have. That's why, centuries ago, journalists invented the practice of "investigative journalism," which, instead of assuming that embedded White House reporters are going to get all the details, actually digs beyond what our politicians give them. 

Instead, Politico is offended to find that "the president's staff often finds Washington reporters whiny, needy and too enamored with trivial matters or their own self-importance."

Trivial matters, like only getting outraged when they miss a golf outing with Obama and Tiger Woods? Whiny, like the sense of entitlement some have to get an exclusive story without ever going beyond the confines the White House press corps? 

For once, Charles Krauthammer has it right:

"If the guy wants to play golf, the guy deserves a couple of days off. He wants privacy – big deal. This is the biggest non-story that the media created since the Kardashian weddings. I don't understand what the story is and what the outrage is . . . I don't think Obama's out there with Tiger receiving marital advice. I think he's out there receiving advice on how to line up a putt."

And when Krauthammer is the voice of reason in the media, there's a problem. Figure it out, mainstream media. Chase the real stories. The fact that you are so starved for legitimate stories that you've made your inability to find legitimate stories the story does not speak well of you.