Jake Tapper Does the Job Other Media Should Be Doing

Outside of Fox News, Jake Tapper of ABC seems to be the only mainstream media reporter who is willing to take on the White House. It used to be a badge of honor for reporters to play tough with the administration in power at the time (remember Sam Donaldson or even Dan Rather?), but today's press seems content to merely repeat whatever the administration says as gospel truth.

The White House has declared war on Fox News and has stated that they are "not a news organization". Tapper had some questions for White House spokeshole Robert Gibbs on that subject. Don Surber provides the transcript:

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” — why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

Had President Bush tried to freeze out a major news organization and asked other news media to isolate them the rest of the press would have risen as one in complaint.

Today, only one rises in complaint.

Oh, there are others who have stated that the White House strategy is foolish, but none have directly challenged the administration as Tapper just did. You'd think the press would have a vested interest in ensuring that their First Amendment free press rights were vigorously defended.

I guess we'll have to wait for the next Republican president to come along for that to happen.