News outlets who at least want to appear to care about bias in their reporting should avoid the off the record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder.
Everyone knows that these off the record meetings are just an attempt to sure up the media wing of Obama’s IRS-Gate Scandal coverup.
The New York Times and the AP have decided not to go unless the meetings are on the record, and all other reputable news organizations should do the same.
Attorney General Eric Holder’s plan to hold a series of meetings with Washington bureau chiefs of national news organizations about guidelines governing investigations that involve reporters has run into snags over the terms of discussions.
The Justice Department wants the meetings to be off the record. The Associated Press issued a statement saying it wants any meeting to be on the record, meaning it could be the subject of news stories. And The New York Times said it won’t attend because of the department’s off-the-record ground rules.
The review of the guidelines called for last week by President Obama come as the Justice Department deals with an outcry over its secret gathering of the emails of Fox News reporter James Rosen and AP reporters’ phone records.
AP media relations manager Erin Madigan White said that if the session is not on the record, the news cooperative will offer its views in an open letter on how Justice Department regulations should be updated.
If the AP’s meeting with the attorney general is on the record, AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll will attend, White said. She said AP expects its attorneys to be included in any planned meetings between the attorney general’s office and media lawyers on the legal specifics.
New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson said in a statement: “It isn’t appropriate for us to attend an off the record meeting with the attorney general. Our Washington bureau is aggressively covering the department’s handling of leak investigations at this time.”
The planned meetings are to take place over the coming weeks. The department said Holder plans to engage with news media organizations, including print media, wire services, radio, television, online media and news and trade associations. Discussions are to include news media executives and general counsels as well as government experts in intelligence and investigative agencies.
The meetings come as Holder faces intense scrutiny from lawmakers over his May 15 testimony in which he claimed to be unaware of any “potential prosecution” of the press, despite knowing about an investigation that targeted Fox News reporter James Rosen.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., R-Wis., voiced “great concern” in a letter to Holder on Wednesday, asking a number of questions about the department’s dealings with the press, and alleging that the Fox News case “contradicts” his testimony at the hearing two weeks ago.
The committee confirmed earlier this week it was looking into Holder’s testimony. Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Holder insisted that “the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material” is not something he was involved in or knew about.
It emerged days later that the Justice Department obtained access to Rosen’s emails — after filing an affidavit that accused him of being a likely criminal “co-conspirator” in the leak of sensitive material regarding North Korea. Rosen was never charged, and never prosecuted. But he was effectively accused of violating the federal Espionage Act.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said on Wednesday that it appears Holder testified truthfully. He said President Obama “absolutely” has confidence in him.
Obama has asked Holder to report to him on any recommended policy changes on Justice Department investigations involving reporters by July 12.
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