Politics and the Press...

I have made this comment several times (usually when the right whinge or the left leg starts in about MSM "mis-representing the truth" or more particularly "distributing political propaganda") about the power of politicians to cut a specific news member or even reporter out of a press conference.

In some cases (witness the "selection" of reporters attending GWB's press conferences) the means of censorship can be quite blatent.

In others (and I give you this example) the censorship is less subtle and can get quite personal.

My main example til now has been that of Robert Muldoon who, in a fit of very nasty pique, refused to begin a press conference until "that man" had been removed from the room. "That man" was Tom Scott, a reporter and cartoonist who had the day or so previous published a particularly scathing and viscious caricature of Muldoon (if I remember it was one of his mad bulldog drawings).

The new example is none other than Auntie Helen...

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
New Zealand media?

SCOOP:
Prime Minister Howard, do you have anything to say to Senator Barack Obama today? Did you discuss Iraq with the NZ Prime Minister, and...

AUSTRALIA PM JOHN HOWARD:
Do I have anything to say to Senator Obama today?

SCOOP MEDIA:
Yes. Or is that finished now?

AUSTRALIA PM JOHN HOWARD:
Sorry. Hmmm?

SCOOP:
Is that finished now? The discussion with Senator Barack Obama…

PM CLARK:
Thank you. We've heard the question.

AUSTRALIA PM JOHN HOWARD:
Yes, we did not discuss in substance, Iraq. There was a brief unilateral reference to it, but we did not discuss the issue, no. We certainly discussed at length, Afghanistan, and we have a joint commitment in Afghanistan. In relation to the matter involving the Senator, I don't really have anything to add to what I've previously said.

SCOOP:
Prime Minister, do you have any...

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
Thank you.

SCOOP MEDIA:
No, one....

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
Australian media, please.

...

AUSTRALIAN REPORTER (F):
Do you think it's made it better or worse, though, since that invasion?

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
Well, I don't really want to go down that track today. Any other questions?

...

SCOOP MEDIA:
PM Howard, are you...

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
You're now on about the fifth question. We're not treating it like a student rally, and audience, thank you. Do we have any other questions? Mr Espiner.

...

SCOOP MEDIA:
Prime Minister, are you surprised about the antagonism your remarks about Barack Obama have caused, both here, and in Australia, and in the United States. Are you surprised at that level of feeling that has been generated by your remarks?

AUSTRALIA PM JOHN HOWARD:
I think you're exaggerating it.

SCOOP MEDIA:
Is this a case of dog whistle politics---

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
Hang on, hang on. This is not a student rally where you heckle from the back row, I'm sorry.

SCOOP MEDIA:
I'm not heckling!

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
I'd like to take any other questions.

...

SCOOP MEDIA:
PM Clark,....

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
An Australian reporter...

SCOOP MEDIA:
Can I have one last question?

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
No, you can't. Last question here.

SCOOP MEDIA:
Is it your job to protect the Australian Prime Minister from answering questions from the New Zealand media?

NZ PM HELEN CLARK:
I'm sorry. You continue to heckle from the back row of every news conference that I give and you're not going to do it to this one. So I think we will be taking our leave.

HOWARD:
Sounds very familiar. Thank you. [Laughter]

AUSTRALIAN REPORTER (F):
.. outrageous.

So, there y'go. How to cut a news reporter out of a question/answer session... As they say RTWT.