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United Kingdom
Related: About this forumPolitical journalists boycott No 10 briefing after PM's aide tried to ban selected reporters
Political journalists walked out of No 10 Downing Street this afternoon in protest at the government planning to give a briefing on the EU only to selected reporters banning The Mirror, i, Huffington Post, PoliticsHome, Independent and others from attending.
Reporters on the invited list were asked to stand on one side of a rug in the foyer of No 10, while those not allowed in were asked by security to stand on the other side.
After one of Boris Johnsons most senior advisers, Lee Cain, told the banned reporters they must leave the building, the rest of the journalists decided to walk out rather than allow Downing Street to choose who scrutinises and reports on the government.
Among those who refused the briefing and walked out included the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg, ITVs Robert Peston and political journalists from the Daily Mail, Telegraph, the Sun, Financial Times, and Guardian.
Reporters on the invited list were asked to stand on one side of a rug in the foyer of No 10, while those not allowed in were asked by security to stand on the other side.
After one of Boris Johnsons most senior advisers, Lee Cain, told the banned reporters they must leave the building, the rest of the journalists decided to walk out rather than allow Downing Street to choose who scrutinises and reports on the government.
Among those who refused the briefing and walked out included the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg, ITVs Robert Peston and political journalists from the Daily Mail, Telegraph, the Sun, Financial Times, and Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/feb/03/brexit-news-boris--johnson-speech-barnier-cabinet-ministers-claims-uk-does-not-need-trade-deal-with-eu-ahead-of-pms-speech-live-news]
Solidarity!!! Good oh - they need to know that we will not out up with the same shot that Trump pulls. Stop covering them until all press get the sames opportunities.... they need the oxygen so I am going to suggest that the journo's will win this fight. When even the big beasts are fucking them over... it is a battle number 10 cannot win. Did they really think our journalists would put up with this shit? This is not Trumps America!!!!
Time for Cummings - cause you know this is him - realises that the fifth estate will not disappear cause as the most libertarians of libertarians does not like what they say about this administration. And this was a civil service briefing... not even a politic one. Ridiculous.
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Political journalists boycott No 10 briefing after PM's aide tried to ban selected reporters (Original Post)
Soph0571
Feb 2020
OP
Pantagruel
(2,580 posts)1. Whore like U.S. "journalists"
would never agree to act on principles-too bad.
3Hotdogs
(13,784 posts)2. Wasn't there a case in the last year, U.S. White House reporters stood up for a CNN reporter who was
banned by the Orange Anus? Even Fox reporters stood up for the CNN guy?
Pantagruel
(2,580 posts)3. White House reporters stood up for a CNN reporter
I remember, then POTUS simply canceled formal press briefings if I recall? It's been close to a year?
muriel_volestrangler
(102,901 posts)4. From the 'permanent' version of the story:
Johnsons communications team has banned ministers from appearing on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, boycotted ITVs Good Morning Britain, and declined to appear on Channel 4 since before the election.
Ministers have also been told not to have lunch with political journalists, and it was briefed at the weekend that Dominic Cummings, Johnsons senior adviser, had established a network of spies to find out whether other special advisers were fraternising with the media.
The BBC in particular is braced for a coming battle with the government after Johnson signalled during the election that he would consider scrapping the licence fee. A thinktank run by Cummings in 2004 advocated an end to the BBCs funding model and described it as a mortal enemy of the Tory party.
...
Some of Johnsons recent hires as special advisers include those with specialisms in film production and photography, prompting speculation that he is increasingly intending to bypass the media. The prime minister has recently launched so-called peoples PMQs sessions in which he reads out pre-vetted questions and answers them himself in an attempt to speak directly to the public.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/03/political-journalists-boycott-no-10-briefing-after-reporter-ban
Ministers have also been told not to have lunch with political journalists, and it was briefed at the weekend that Dominic Cummings, Johnsons senior adviser, had established a network of spies to find out whether other special advisers were fraternising with the media.
The BBC in particular is braced for a coming battle with the government after Johnson signalled during the election that he would consider scrapping the licence fee. A thinktank run by Cummings in 2004 advocated an end to the BBCs funding model and described it as a mortal enemy of the Tory party.
...
Some of Johnsons recent hires as special advisers include those with specialisms in film production and photography, prompting speculation that he is increasingly intending to bypass the media. The prime minister has recently launched so-called peoples PMQs sessions in which he reads out pre-vetted questions and answers them himself in an attempt to speak directly to the public.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/03/political-journalists-boycott-no-10-briefing-after-reporter-ban
I knew Johnson was personally boycotting the Today programme, but didn't realise how wide the ban was, not only on other programmes, but for ministers in general. This really does sound like Cummings is setting up Pravda-on-the-Thames.