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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Covering President Obama
Jack Kurtz, Photographer
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Phoenix | AZ | United States | Posted: 11:56 AM on 08.13.09 |
->> Has the Obama White House done away with local pools? He's made three visits to Arizona this year and there hasn't been a local pool for any of them. Is it just us or this a new trend?
thanks,
jack |
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Jay Westcott, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | USA | Posted: 12:13 PM on 08.13.09 |
| ->> Typically with Presidential visits, local press is relegated to the back riser and/or cutaway. Best bet to get in the buffer up near the stage is to get there early, talk to the press team on site and try to work into the buffer after the travel pool has come through. If there is time and space, usually they will let you in for a couple minutes. |
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Jack Kurtz, Photographer
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Phoenix | AZ | United States | Posted: 12:30 PM on 08.13.09 |
->> But in visits from previous presidents there were local pool positions usually one TV, 2 local stills, 1 local radio and 2 local scribblers. We joined the pool at arrival check in and left the pool on departure. But that hasn't been the case with this administration.
jack |
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Michael Granse, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 12:34 PM on 08.13.09 |
| ->> Presspoolgate? |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:47 PM on 08.13.09 |
->> Jack, that's a lot of local pool people for ANY administration. Whenever we covered the past several
administrations there was usually one still, one local TV
and a scribbler. That said, every administration is
different. I've found the Obama people are really good about
giving local photographers time in the "pit". I think there
are some added security issues with President Obama and that might be a reason for the cutting back in local access....but
that's just a guess. |
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Kevin Leas, Photographer, Assistant
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 2:41 PM on 08.13.09 |
->> Hmmm...for our last presidential visit (President Bush in '06), the photo editor of the local paper was assigned to be the pool photographer. The rest of us had the usual "riser at the airport, riser at the speech" kind of access, but she was supposed to be with the president at all times. Sometime after her designated meeting time, she received a call that the plans had changed and that there would be no pool photog that day.
I can't speak for the current administration, but if they have in fact done away with the pool spot, then it does seem to be different from the last administration. |
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Kevin Clifford, Photographer
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Reno | NV | United States | Posted: 2:57 PM on 08.13.09 |
| ->> Every time he stopped in Northern Nevada everyone was eventually allowed to go in the buffer zone. So unless someone has special access to follow the President when he arrives, there appears to be no need for a local pool. |
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Jim Colburn, Photo Editor, Photographer
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McAllen | TX | USA | Posted: 10:32 PM on 08.13.09 |
->> Did you contact the White House press office before the trip to check on local pools? Did you get the local press contact? The name and cell number of the White House press advance person handling the event?
Or did you just show up? |
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Jack Kurtz, Photographer
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Phoenix | AZ | United States | Posted: 12:12 AM on 08.14.09 |
->> Jim,
We did all three of the above on each trip. On the first one (in Febuary), we were told there would be one photo spot for us in the pool (nothing for scribblers) and that was cancelled the day before (the pool spot not the visit).
On the other two we were told no local pool positions, which is why I'm wondering if this is a new policy.
thanks,
jack |
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Kent Nishimura, Student/Intern
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Honolulu | HI | USA | Posted: 2:36 AM on 08.14.09 |
->> when obama was in hawaii in dec 08, the only still shooters in the pool were AP, AFP, Reuters, and ISP. The reuters guy and I (i shot for the ISP were the only local guys there) as far as local media is concerned, they were let in only one day during the trip, and that was on xmas day. for the most part local media wasnt allowed there. when obama went to a golf course a shooter from a local paper showed up and got some shots while the pool wasnt allowed to go out and shoot. he was then chased off by the press handler.
maybe it was a different situation because obama was on vacay. i'm not sure. i'd be interested to see how this convo pans out.
aloha. |
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