WASHINGTON (AP) Dozens of news organizations protested to the White House on Thursday against restrictions that sometimes keep journalists from taking pictures and video of President Barack Obama performing official duties. At the same time, two press groups urged their members to stop using official photos and video handed out by the White House, dismissing them as little more than "government propaganda."
The news organizations' letter to White House press secretary Jay Carney detailed a number of examples in which photographers weren't allowed to cover events that were deemed "private" by administration officials even though the White House indicated their newsworthiness by releasing its own photos of the events.
"As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist's camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public from having an independent view of important functions of the executive branch of government," the letter says. It adds that the represent a major break from the practices of past administrations.
The news organizations said the White House limits on access raise constitutional concerns about infringement on First Amendment press freedoms and have "a direct and adverse impact on the public's ability to independently monitor and see what its government is doing."
The press coalition, which included The Associated Press, said the access limits also undercut Obama's pledge to create a more transparent government.
