Liars! White House accused of hypocrisy after 'banning newspaper reporter who used cell phone to film protesters'



The White House has been accused of lying in a sensational row with a newspaper over a banned journalist.

The San Francisco Chronicle has dug its heels in over the row, calling the Obama administration out for not being 'truthful'.

The row began when Chronicle journalist Carla Marinucci was apparently banned from being one of the approved pool of reporters to cover presidential visits to the San Francisco Bay area.

Scroll down to see the video

Not so new media friendly? Barack Obama, shown here at a fundraiser in New York on April 27, has been accused of banning a White House print reporter who used her mobile phone to shoot video of a protest

Ms Marinucci was part of the 'print pool' - that is, the journalists who have traditionally relied on the written word to tell the story.

However the experienced political reporter used her video phone to shoot some footage of protesters at an Obama fundraiser at the St Regis Hotel on Thursday.



The video caught Mr Obama looking on as protesters demonstrated against the White House's treatment of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning.

The Chronicle defended Ms Marinucci, saying such phones were 'now-standard multi-media tools'.

But the move that is said to have infuriated the White House, resulting in her banning - and even threats to other reporters, according to the Chronicle.



Free speech: Mr Obama, centre on stage with a microphone, can be seen looking on as one of the protesters removes her sweater during the demonstration

The newspaper slammed the administration as 'hypocrtical', pointing out that the Obama administration has done everything possible to present itself as new media friendly.

That includes a high profile appearance by the President alongside Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently, as well as exhaustive Facebook and Twitter updates from White House officials.



WHAT DID SHE REPORT ON TO GET HER BANNED?

The video recorded by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Carla Marinucci showed protesters demonstrating at a fundraiser at the luxurious St Regis Hotel in San Francisco on Thursday. The demonstrators staged a 'performance art' protest at the event, which they claimed they paid a total of $76,000 for to attend.

The group sang a song about the treatment of WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. The a cappella performance included the lyrics 'We paid our dues, where's our 'change'?' Mr Obama, who watched the performance from the stage, thanked the protesters afterwards.

Ms Marinucci filmed the protest on her mobile phone and published it on the Chronicle's website. But she was slammed by both the White House and other print reporters there - essentially accused of cheating by using her phone to get the story.



When the Chronicle reported on the ban, the White House press office denied it had happened - sparking an angry response from Chronicle editor Ward Bushee.

He wrote: 'Sadly, we expected the White House to respond in this manner based on our experiences yesterday. It is not a truthful response.

'It follows a day of off-the-record exchanges with key people in the White House communications office who told us they would remove our reporter, then threatened retaliation to Chronicle and Hearst reporters if we reported on the ban, and then recanted to say our reporter might not be removed after all.

'The Chronicle's report is accurate.

'If the White House has indeed decided not to ban our reporter, we would like an on-the-record notice that she will remain the San Francisco print pool reporter.'

Chronicle editor-at-large Phil Bronstein added on his blog: 'Messy ball now firmly in White House court'.



He slammed the 'Carla fatwa' itself as 'hypocritcial', writing: 'That's a pretty Flinstones concept of journalism for an administration that presents itself as the Jetsons.'

He continued: 'Video is every bit a part of any journalist's took kit these days as a functioning pen that doesn't leak through your pocket.'

He also revealed that Ms Marinucci is so well known for using multimedia that she and a colleague have founded Shaky Hand Productions, the use of Flip cameras or mobile phones by traditional journalists to cover last year's California gubernatorial race.



Row: The fundraiser was held at the St Regis Hotel in San Francisco on Thursday morning

'For Carla... and reporters at other Hearst newsrooms where Shaky Hand has taken hold, this was an appropriate dive into use of other media by traditional journalists catering to audiences who expect their news delivered in all modes and manners,' Mr Bronstein wrote.



'That's the world we live in and the President of the United States claims to be one of its biggest advocates.'

He also voiced implied threats from the White House if the Chronicle publicised the row over Ms Marinucci, writing: 'What's worse: more than a few journalists familiar with this story are aware of some implied threats from the White House of additional and wider punishment if Carla's spanking became public.



'Really? That's a heavy hand usually reserved for places other than the land of the free.'

The White House has not yet issued an official comment response to the Chronicle's accusations.