Two days after “Re-Launch” — Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Runs Aground with the Press — Again

Hillary Clinton’s already strained relationship with the media worsened today after David Martosko of the Daily Mail — the designated pool reporter for the day — was twice [thrice, counting a late-reported evening event] denied access to cover Clinton’s campaign events

Banning a reporter from the “Press Pool” causes backlash from irate press  —   Boston papers lash Hillary Clinton campaign for actions in neighboring New Hampshire  —   National Press Corps scolds Clinton Campaign

Statement by media organizations including the New York Daily News, Politico, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal  — “We haven’t yet had a clear explanation about why the pool reporter for today’s events was denied access. But any attempt by the campaign to dictate who is in the pool is unacceptable....”  

Doubling down at an evening event, Hillary Clinton’s Campaign dug its heels in against the Press Pool’s reporter — and looks like it dug a deeper hole with the rest of the press

In a blown attempt to keep Hillary Clinton in a “bubble” and shielded from possible hostile questioning, the now obviously atrocious Clinton Presidential Campaign has again become a significant part of the story instead of the candidate or her message

Here’s how Politico reported on the most recent Hillary Clinton Campaign press flap: “The Hillary Clinton campaign denied access to the print pool reporter on Monday, reigniting reporters' longstanding concerns about the campaign's commitment to running an open and transparent campaign....  David Martosko, the U.S. political editor for London's Daily Mail, reported showing up at the campaign's breakfast stop in New Hampshire only to be told that he would not be allowed to pool the day's events. Pool reporters are responsible for sending reports from the trail to the rest of the press corps....  ‘Your pooler showed up at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester on a rainy New Hampshire morning at 7:45 and was greeted in the parking lot by Meredith Thatcher, a press staffer with the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Thatcher told your pooler that he wasn’t the approved print pool reporter for today’s pooled events,’ Martosko reported in his first pool report. (Note: Thatcher is actually a press staffer for "Hillary for New Hampshire," not the state's Democratic Party.)...  ‘Asked to call her boss, Harrell Kirstein, she did so and then reported: “So I'm afraid it's a no. You're not on the list.” She said [campaign press secretary] Nick Merrill should be phoned with questions,’ Martosko continued. ‘Asked if the print pooler was being prohibited from getting on either of the pool vans, Thatcher replied: “I'm afraid that's right.” Asked why, she responded: “All I know is what Harrell has told me. I got an email saying the print pooler would be changed for today. Sorry.”... ’   Denied a ride in the pool van, Martosko told Thatcher that he would drive to the first campaign stop in Rochester on his own, ‘in the hope that things would be sorted out during the 75-minute drive.’..." (See “Clinton campaign denies access to pool reporter” by Dylan Byers, 6/15/15, Politico/ Dylan Byers On Media
[http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/06/clinton-campaign-denies-access-to-pool-reporter-208839.html]).  The rest of Politico’s media column by Mr. Byers indicated that the problem was not resolved vis a vis Mr. Martosko, yesterday’s pool reporter; and it dealt with some lengthy and various complicated explanations and excuses by the Hillary Clinton Campaign “Traveling Press Secretary,” Nick Merrill.

BOSTON PAPERS JUMP ON CLINTON CAMPAIGN FOR EVENTS IN THEIR BACK YARD

THE BOSTON GLOBE COVERAGE

According to a report by Annie Linskey in the Boston Globe, “Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign Monday banned a representative from the national print pool from attending any of her events in New Hampshire, a development that will make coverage for her trip to New Hampshire spotty for some of the country’s largest print outlets....”
(See “Clinton campaign bans national pool reporter from N.H. events” by Annie Linskey & Globe Staff, 6/15/15, Boston Globe [https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/06/15/hillary-clinton-campaign-barred-national-pool-reporter-from-new-hampshire-events/EgANuZJ7EnNAjZnKiKxcJO/story.html]).

Annie Linskey’s article goes on to state that, “....  ‘We need to rethink it all, maybe for a day,’ Merrill told David Martosko, a reporter for the Daily Mail, according to the reporter’s account of the conversation sent to other outlets in the national pool. ‘And just cool things off until we can have a discussion.’...   The flap is the latest flashpoint between the Clinton campaign and the political press corps....”

As a rather clear signal that this is a big deal, the Boston Globe coverage included this: “....  On Monday evening, the news organizations representing Hillary Clinton’s traveling press pool released a statement on the matter, underscoring ‘the pool is open to any print organization willing to take part.’...   ‘We would like to see all campaign events open to the public and the full press corps, but when that is not possible we have agreed to pool coverage,’ said the 14 news organizations. ‘We haven’t yet had a clear explanation about why the pool reporter for today’s events was denied access. But any attempt by the campaign to dictate who is in the pool is unacceptable.’...”

THE BOSTON HERALD COVERAGE

Meanwhile, another Boston newspaper weighed in with this on its blog: “All 14 news organizations that comprise Hillary Clinton’s traveling press pool are protesting the campaign’s decision to ban a reporter from two out of three public events today in New Hampshire....  ‘We would like to see all campaign events open to the public and the full press corps, but when that is not possible we have agreed to pool coverage,’ reads a statement by media organizations including the New York Daily News, Politico, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal. ‘We haven’t yet had a clear explanation about why the pool reporter for today’s events was denied access. But any attempt by the campaign to dictate who is in the pool is unacceptable.’...   Clinton’s already strained relationship with the media worsened today after David Martosko of the Daily Mail -- the designated pool reporter for the day -- was twice denied access to cover Clinton’s campaign events....”  (See “Press protests Clinton campaign ban” by Chris Cassidy, 6/15/15, Boston Herald/ Herald Bulldog First on the Street  [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/herald_bulldog/2015/06/press_protests_clinton_campaign_ban]).

Chris Cassidy’s article for the Herald also noted, “Because of the size of the media pack that covers Clinton, the campaign restricts some small-scale events as “pool only,” where one or two reporters are designated to cover and then dispatch reports to all other media....   It's the only 2016 presidential campaign to use such a system....”

The remainder of the Boston Herald’s coverage largely tracked the stories recounted by the othe media outlets cited above in this post, except for the following bit.

CLINTON  CAMPAIGN  DOUBLES DOWN AGAINST POOL REPORTER AT EVENING EVENT IN MANCHESTER, N.H.

The Boston Herald report also contained this late item about an evening confrontation between Hillary  Clinton’s Campaign and the Daily Telegraph’s David Martosko:  “You need to leave,” a campaign aide told Martosko tonight when he tried to cover a Clinton speech at a dinner hosted by Manchester Democrats, according to the pool report Martosko sent out.