Politico.com | Poynter.org
Some reporters in the rotating pool of journalists who chronicle the president’s movements are sending tweets and TwitPics before the pool reports go to all of their colleagues, and that’s creating problems. “The conventions dictate that the pool comes first — not the news organization or the individual,” writes Amie Parnes.
The issue, which has surfaced in recent months as more reporters embrace Twitter, has sparked a debate within the White House press corps about how much of such online activities should be allowed. …The White House Correspondents’ Association has created a task force to examine the matter, along with other pool-related issues involving changes in the industry.
In 2005, there were complaints about the pool reports — once distributed by hand — being emailed and posted on websites. “The sheer number of recipients and the electronic distribution practically assures that these once closely guarded documents end up online,” said Christopher Cooper. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank complained six years ago that the added scrutiny of the pool reports has “stamped all the fun out of it.”
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