Journos Already Chafed Over WH Access

Day 4, and already the White House and the press are squabbling? Press Secretary Robert Gibbs’ maiden briefing included outbursts from reporters angry over what they saw as opaque behavior, Politico reports. The top complaint: Only four reporters, and no non-White House cameras, were allowed at President Obama’s retaking of the oath. Said Gibbs, “We would have had to get a bigger room.”

Journalists likened official photos of the oath to a press release, and several wire services refused to distribute them. “I think not letting video, that’s a bit of a rookie mistake,” says Clinton administration press secretary Dee Dee Myers. “When you can, it’s better to err on the side of inclusiveness with the press.” (More White House press corps stories.)