Obamedia

The first prime time news conference of the new Obama Administration is set for tonight at 7:00 Central Time, and there is an interesting structural change in the way reporters are called. According to the Howard Kurtz column in today's Washington Post,

"Some journalists are miffed that Obama decides the day before news conferences whom he is going to call on -- the fortunate ones are notified in advance -- reducing the other reporters to the role of mere extras. Past presidents have generally worked their way around the room, starting with the wire services, networks and major newspapers..."

Naturally, the odds of being called on in a presidential news conference are pretty small anyway unless you are one of the "stars". But all of the reporters in the room will be writing about the President's comments, and being there is the best way to get the sense of the room, the room atmospherics. And how much pressure is there on the reporters who've been told they'll get called on tonight? It's an old story...ask questions that are too agressive and suddenly you don't get called on, or at least not as often [Remember Helen Thomas being ignored by George Bush at his last news conference?]