American Press Says White House Sometimes Demands Changes in Press-Pool Reports

You mean the media that actually publishes stomach-churning pictures like this would allow themselves to censored by the White House? Say it ain't so!

Of course the White House does. And the media, as always, submits. Because, you know, Obama's just so great and stuff.

From The Washington Post (h/y Instapundit):

White House press-pool reports are supposed to be the news media’s eyes and ears on the president, an independent chronicle of his public activities. They are written by reporters for other reporters, who incorporate them into news articles about President Obama almost every day. 

Sometimes, however, the White House plays an unseen role in shaping the story. 

Journalists who cover the White House say Obama’s press aides have demanded — and received — changes in press-pool reports before the reports have been disseminated to other journalists. They say the White House has used its unusual role as the distributor of the reports as leverage to steer coverage in a more favorable direction.

Of course The Post  claims that Obama only does this for trivial matters. I wonder what qualifies as trivial? Benghazi, the VA scandal, Fast & Furious, and the IRS's attacks against conservative groups were all publicly downplayed as trivial, fake, or Bush's fault by Obama himself. So, I'm a bit dubious as to what the White House and their boys at The Washington Post might claim is trivial.