Robert Novak’s 600 some-odd paged memoir, The Price of Darkness, gives a fascinating look behind the scenes of doing business in Washington. While his personal views were a bit too far to the right for my liking, the perspective he provided as a political journalist for fifty years was incredibly insightful. One of the most astounding takeaways from the book is the amount of back room dealing that takes place not just between the politicians themselves but with the reporters they deal with. It gives a whole new meaning to seeing the words “top level aide” or a “senior administration official” who is speaking “on the condition of anonymity.” Chances are those sources are extremely high ranking Senators, Congressmen/women, or cabinet members. Sometimes the information comes directly from the President himself through one of those people.
Information is usually carefully controlled by the White House press staff. No matter what side of the isle you sit on if they want you to be in the loop you would be, if not, you’re out. But an open door does not always remain open and the White House can shut it anytime they like. Throughout Novak’s career he has been shunned by just about every administration in the past five decades at one point or another. Just because you’re in the same party doesn’t guarantee a green light (although it does make it much easier).
After reading about a man who spent his lifetime courting politicians and seeing the brute force of how several administrations have handled the media it surprises me that there was ever such a uproar about the Obama White House not wishing to speak to Fox News. From what Robert Novak detailed about Washington it sounds pretty normal. It is even more expected when the network displays explicit hatred towards the President, calling him a communist and questioning his citizenship. Why would this or any other White House in their position reach out to them? They wouldn’t. They would do what has been going on since the beginning of politics: shut out the reporters they do not want to deal with.
The Obama administration has actually made great strides to improve upon the exclusivity of political reporting by bringing many bloggers into the inner circle (albeit mostly liberal ones). More traditional journalist may have been a bit shaken up by this but it is just a sign of the times. Media is changing rapidly and it is good that we have a White House that acknowledges that fact. While I don’t think Novak would have agreed with Obama’s policies I think he, of all people, would have to admit that keeping Fox News blacklisted is just the way Washington works.
