WTF. I mean seriously.
Student journo snaps pictures with phone of the veep and some other “dignitaries” at an open-to-the-public event.
The Biden staffer then requested to watch Barr delete his photos, Barr complied, and then the staffer reportedly asked him to show her his iPhone to confirm he did not save any of the photos.
Doesn’t matter whether he was seated in the official press area or not – he signed in a member of the press. I don’t even care if there were signs saying “no photography.” Unless they were in a courtroom, things get odd legally when it comes to restricting photography taken while standing on public property. Most times people just go along with the signs and assume the people who put them up know what they are doing. That isn’t always the case. I could well be wrong, but the Montgomery County Executive Office Building sure sounds like it’s a building paid for by the public. It may be that in a legal challenge, you would lose. It might also be that you wouldn’t – especially as a registered member of the press.
These people are public servants, not rock stars. They don’t make a living based off of their images.
This is why we have a compliant press that won’t investigate anything. What the hell are they teaching them? I’m going to have to assume nothing. Why was his response not to say “Ma’am, I don’t believe you have the right to make me delete my photos. I’ll be leaving now.” It is the job of the press to be adversarial with “The Man,” not to meekly accede to the demands of The Man.
I never thought I’d say this but where are the Woodward and Bernsteins of today?
I don’t know where I saw this first, chances are it was over at Dpud, though a quick and lazy spin through the postings of late didn’t turn it up. I had intended to write about it last night and ran out of oomph so I looked it up again this evening.
You know what bothers me? The kid didn’t even ask why.
Precisely. He just accepted that she was in the right because she was in authority.
Recall Biden is the one whose peeps stuck a “journalist” in a closet for his event.
Petite Lap Press indeed.
http://doubleplusundead.com/2011/03/26/petite-lap-giraffe-good-petite-lap-press-bad/
As I said, imagine if Darth Cheney or Sarah Palin had done that.
Imagine Bush forcing a “journalist” to erase pictures.
The double standard is as despicable as it is infuriating.