When reporters become the thing they hate: candidates

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Jun 23, 2022 View in browser   By Max Tani and Alex Thompson Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API) Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.  Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Max SIREN EMJOI: We get a lot of feedback from readers, but we want to know if you have any burning questions. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com , and we'll endeavor to get to the bottom of whatever you're curious about. If we get enough of them, we may do a mailbag edition. We promise to keep you anonymous (especially if you're a Biden official, who are also welcome to submit questions)! White House reporters from smaller outlets often feel like afterthoughts in a briefing room dominated by correspondents from legacy media outlets who hog the front row and pose the most questions to the press secretary. But during White House Correspondents Association election season, that all changes. Voting begins next week for the election to several open positions on the WHCA board, the organization that coordinates and sometimes battles with the White House over press access and logistics. All of the candidates for open WHCA board positions represent media organizations in the first several rows of the briefing room (disclosure: POLITICO's own EUGENE DANIELS is running for the board seat allocated to represent digital media outlets). And over the past few weeks, they've been very attentive to their colleagues in the back rows. Candidates for the board have been hitting the phones and holding in-person meetings with reporters, photographers and other journalists from outlets large and small to try and win over their votes. Multiple White House correspondents from smaller outlets said it has the feeling of a high school class president election, with candidates posting flyers around the common areas in the White House briefing room, and soliciting votes from people they've seen around for years, but rarely acknowledged. "You know how when a popular girl runs for homecoming queen, she makes overtures to people she's never spoken to before because band geeks outnumber cheerleaders and you can't win without them?" one White House reporter asked. "Same thing." Candidates for the board have tried particularly hard to woo the large and growing bloc of foreign reporters covering the White House. As of this year, foreign press make up about 20 percent of the WHCA membership, with the largest contingents representing outlets from Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Since the election of DONALD TRUMP and continuing into JOE BIDEN's presidency, there's been an increasing amount of interest in the White House beat by foreign media outlets and an accompanying rise in the number of credentialed foreign reporters. SARA COOK seems to get this dynamic. In an email to members, the CBS News producer, who is running for the seat representing television outlets, repeatedly highlighted her previous experience working for a foreign outlet, saying her tenure as "both a legacy US network and a foreign news outlet has given me a deep understanding of the priorities for organizations large and small, foreign and domestic." Cook isn't alone in targeting members of the press corps representing foreign media outlets. In a note to West Wing Playbook, KAITLAN COLLINS, who is running against USA Today's FRANCESCA CHAMBERS for the WHCA president slot, said she understands concerns expressed by journalists at smaller outlets and foreign media organizations as well. A Vote Kaitlan poster | Courtesy of Kaitlin Collins The CNN White House correspondent argued that she hasn't forgotten her experience covering the White House as a reporter for the Daily Caller, a right-leaning media organization that did not get the preferential treatment that those in the front row receive. "As I've been campaigning, I've heard from many of them that they often feel their concerns are forgotten about once the election ends, which I've assured them won't happen if I'm elected," she said of the foreign press corps. "Their priorities — such as advocating for a foreign press pooler to join sprays when a foreign leader is present and having access to foreign press specific background briefings — will be my priorities as well." Current WHCA President STEVEN PORTNOY told West Wing Playbook that the election is always valuable because it gives the prospective candidates an opportunity to understand the concerns of various, diverse parts of the White House press corps. "The campaign provides tremendous value for candidates who run because it forces them to enter into a realm of the press corps that they may not be familiar with," he said. "It's a real education into the makeup of the press corps." But not everyone buys it. Nor does everyone think there's much of a point to it, noting some of the structural and even physical limitations of the White House press room. "If they could get a lunch room that doesn't face the bathrooms, I'd elect Hitler," another White House correspondent joked. TEXT US — Are you KATRINA SMITH, a researcher in the office of presidential personnel? We want to hear from you! And we'll keep you anonymous if you'd like.  Or if you think we missed something in today's edition, let us know and we may include it tomorrow. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com or you can text/Signal/Wickr Alex at 8183240098.   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): Last week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) released its 10 in 2022 plan – 10 policies that policymakers can advance today to unlock American energy, fuel economic recovery, and strengthen national security. As energy costs and geopolitical instability around the world continue to rise, API is calling on policymakers to confront the global mismatch between energy demand and available supply that has driven higher fuel prices by supporting greater U.S. production and infrastructure. Read the plan.   POTUS PUZZLER With the White House Historical Association  Which president invited a raccoon to a White House garden party? Yes, a raccoon. (Answer at the bottom) The Oval HOOPS-GATE: Yesterday, aides to Vice President KAMALA HARRIS blasted out a video of her making a basketball shot (in heels, no less) while commemorating the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Today, the full video emerged and it showed the VP missed her first five shots before sinking the one her staff posted. Republicans and conservatives gleefully pushed out the lengthier video. Responding to one Fox News chyron about Harris missing the baskets, the veep's senior adviser for communications, HERBIE ZISKEND, quipped on Twitter: "Thank you, for continuing to focus on the important issues facing the American people." Commerce Department senior adviser CAITLIN LEGACKI came to Harris's defense, tweeting out a video of NBA superstar STEPH CURRY also missing several shots. If this is causing you a sense of deja vu, that's because we've been down this road before. Former President BARACK OBAMA was hazed pretty ruthlessly for missing 20 of 22 shots while hooping with kids on the White House court. And he fashioned himself a baller. NEWSOM FOR PRESIDENT? California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM has been vocal in recent weeks about how Democrats need to be more aggressive in confronting Republicans in the national culture wars, and some speculate it may be the beginning of his race for the presidency in 2024. "Everybody is trying to be relevant for the next race. He came through the recall election and he's doing a pretty good job as governor. However, I think ambition makes people do different things," former Biden administration official CEDRIC RICHMOND said. As for what the West Wing thinks about the governor potentially running, Richmond said: "I am not sure they are reading the Gavin Newsom opinion pages about his desire to be politically relevant." Our CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO and DAVID SIDERS have more details.  THE AGE FACTOR?: During today's White House press briefing, National Security Council spokesman Coordinator for Strategic Communications JOHN KIRBY got a series of three questions from one reporter.: "Let me take the second one first because I tend to forget questions if I do them in order you ask them. No, it's okay, it's just age. Sad, but true."   DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.     Agenda Setting MORE AND MORE ROCKET LAUNCHERS: The White House plans to send four additional rocket launchers to Ukraine , as part of its next round of military assistance as the Russian invasion rages on, our LARA SELIGMAN reports. The four additional rocket launchers would double the number of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems sent to Ukraine. The first four were sent to the country this week.   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API):   What We're Reading New Biden Rules Would Bar Discrimination Against Transgender Students (NYT's Erica L. Green) U.S. to give some 'Havana syndrome' victims six-figure compensation (WaPo's John Hudson and Shane Harris) U.S. monkeypox response mirrors early coronavirus missteps, experts say (WaPo's Lena H. Sun, Dan Diamond and Fenit Nirappil) Biden administration announces $450 million in additional military assistance for Ukraine (CNN's Barbara Starr and Oren Liebermann)   INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED:  Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today.     POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER President HERBERT HOOVER and first lady LOU HENRY HOOVER invited 4-year-old raccoon Susie, and her six cubs, to a garden party for wounded and disabled veterans in August 1930. Inviting Susie and her cubs "was attributed to Chief Usher IKE HOOVER, who received the animals from WILLIAM H. BLACKBURN, head keeper at the D.C. Zoo," according to the White House Historical Association. A CALL OUT — Do you think you have a more difficult trivia question? Send us your best question on the presidents with a citation and we may feature it. Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.   A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): Washington policymakers must confront the global mismatch between demand and supply that has driven higher fuel prices by supporting greater U.S. production. The American Petroleum Institute's 10 in '22 plan outlines a plan for achieving just that. "These 10 in '22 policies are a framework for new energy leadership for our nation, unleashing investment in America and creating new energy access while avoiding harmful government policies and duplicative regulation. It's time to lead," said API President and CEO Mike Sommers. Read the full plan here.     Follow us on Twitter Alex Thompson @AlexThomp Maxwell Tani @maxwelltani Allie Bice @alliebice   Follow us

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