ABSTRACT
The rules for admission to briefings and press conferences stipulated they would only be open to reporters covering the White House on a daily basis. The image of the White House press interacting directly and freely with the president belies reality. The White House journalists' job is very competitive. Political officials often get into a process of negotiating newsworthiness with the media. The press office distributes transcripts of the pool reporter's observations. It needs to be ready to calm the nation, serve the president's interests, and provide the media with needed information. The White House press corps has an insatiable desire for information. White House correspondents put up with the negative parts of the job by recognizing that it's "an institutional ticket. The White House press staff takes late-night calls from journalists and tries to "correct" impending stories or to threaten that running the story would lead to significant embarrassment.
