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Obama administration too tough on the press?

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    Questions about White House relationship with media after Woodward controversy

  • Duration 6:52
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The veteran journalist Bob Woodward is now defending himself -- front on mounting controversy after criticizing the way -- he was street and instant email exchanges on the phone and a half hour session where he was berated by a White House official.

He now says that he is really question -- minister ration.

They hit an honor handling of the automatic defense spending cuts -- she's has detailed in great.

Work in his book and then after that as well.

He says he was yelled at by a staffer here is Woodward.

A sort of on the back end of of this story reacting to his own emails that responded here is last night on Hannity questions.

Obviously didn't like being challenged on this it all.

But.

And you know people have said -- well this was a threat -- I was saying it was that threat.

Having use that language but it's not the way to operate.

In a White House the problem is they're all kinds of reporters.

Who were much less experienced who were younger.

In if they're gonna get roughed up in this way.

And even I've.

Flooded with emails from people in the press saying this is exactly the will hit the White House.

Works they're trying to control and they don't want to be.

Tale -- story.

Cross.

Juan Williams is a Fox News political analyst Mary Katharine Ham is editor at large at hot air dot com and a Fox News contributor -- -- -- -- both.

You know we're 81 let me start with you -- it it it.

Feels like when you listen to the list of people who have been treated this way that this is sort of the most open secret in Washington.

That this is a typical response from this administration.

When you start to push -- -- a little bet.

Story I mean I I think all White House's play hardball with reporters who do stories they don't like.

I think that the controversy about Woodward has taken on added fuel because people thought.

You know if he was threatened that's pretty crazy Bob -- a legend in this business he's a hero to people like me and when the emails actually came out they seem so -- -- I mean basically he even said in his response to Gene Sperling you know no big DOM.

Sort of summed it up so it's got to curiously it's kind of hard to understand exactly what's going on here but it.

In terms of the general pattern.

This White House is just as tough as any other and I think tougher in some regards.

In staying to reporters we don't like what you've done or don't like what you written or don't do that.

-- it is a question here whether or not there's something different going on.

And we -- a piece of tape Helen Thomas and Robert Gibbs this is back in 2009.

This is just several months after the president took office back at the very beginning of sort of you know the more open and transparent administration everybody was expecting.

So you know with that in mind that this happened that long ago.

Let's listen to that she's responding to a story about plant about reporters being told the night before that they were going to be picked in this town hall that was supposed to be an open in a spontaneous thing.

Here's that exchange.

-- I.

Exactly it's never had them in your -- -- -- couldn't.

Play fast he could de LA you've been hurt -- man today.

Painting your people call.

OK -- and I wouldn't have been unheard of questions it doesn't matter is that process.

Whose question did you get into the -- you know it wasn't it.

So that there have also visited -- evidence currently going that I'm controlling the breast.

Howling and I'll bet my car I supported the night before talent that actually called.

-- -- Mary -- -- say you know she will later went on to say in an interview asked about that exchange she's that I haven't seen this kind of White House interns and their response to the press since the Nixon days -- does have the same thing.

I -- I think do you hear that every now and then when people sort of feel unleashed and there's a couple people I think have felt unleashed after Woodward.

Came out with this particular thing.

For the record and I I'd concede that the exchange is fairly friendly and conciliatory but I think he's using the sentence you're going to regret something is sort of -- apparently a problem.

I'm not -- to -- big tears for powerful journalists but look.

-- interesting thing to me here is that I think we know the winds in this clash of the titans now it comes to the press corps.

Liberal -- -- Demi god or actual liberal Demi got an Obama and Obama is the one who's being defended here when it seems to me like there's a pretty.

Obvious pattern of the White House being very closed and non transparent which the press -- occasionally admit to.

And all of a sudden when Woodward comes out points this out everybody goes there were tough we don't mind being bullied every once in awhile well let's let's actually change the pattern here I think that.

That would be be better outcome yes.

And the backlash against Woodward was he's old you know he's -- in the you know here's the great Bob Woodward and obviously he just doesn't get it.

Right things that I want ask you about one you know there's such a new culture.

In the media today in in others -- Blogosphere there's you know what what it -- -- -- get college journalist is in a sort of an open question right now he's going to be -- you say you're one.

And I wonder if this sort of you know cool young.

Administration that we have that has such an appeal to so many people in this sort of new media if they feel kind of slapped in the face and actually try to do real story and they get it for it.

I don't doubt.

It means to me when we talk about controlling things we've never seen before I think you're exactly on point -- -- has to do.

With new media with things like Twitter.

FaceBook how they in -- invent their own shows you know there's -- west wing show that's produced by the White -- put out by the White House.

Their own photographs and stuff for people who aren't journalists who simply need content the White House has found out they can provide content and by providing content.

Tailor the message in terms of how the news is being made from Washington and I think that's what people are saying.

You know I -- I just think that you know what we're iRobot older whatever but I just thought he overreacted I mean gosh I think real reporters.

I've had my life threatened by -- and like stories I was doing so.

I -- -- that I regret that you think you regret it the interpretation of events that he we've proven wrong and -- and so even if I you know I have great Bob -- -- as my colleague at the Washington Post.

I just think that something else is going on here I don't get it.

I I feel like he's trying to -- -- C news of young reporters and say don't you know don't don't take this and at that -- is trying to jail we'll see if if it has that kind of impact.

Thank you so -- As Elizabeth dispense with the president at least as we can dispense with the notion that they're more open and transparent than any other administration when that is clearly not the truth.

And as a that would be good as a literary talent time is now 92 years all -- and -- seen at all.

Thanks so much Mary Katherine and live we'll -- -- -- my dad hello.

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