Battle Over Background Briefings

"Don't go to them. Just quit," writes blogger and New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen , who then describes how he thinks it should work:

"PODIUM: Don't forget, background briefing at 11 am, previewing the President's remarks with a nameless deputy press officer

"REPORTER 1: Great, that will give me time to answer my e-mail.

"REPORTER 2: Scott, when does the working part of the day resume?"

In Strupp 's second story, he writes about that possibility:

"Some veteran journalists have suggested that Washington reporters boycott background-only briefings to send a stronger signal. 'Maybe it's time to take another shot at it,' Ben Bradlee, former executive editor of The Washington Post, told E&P. He recalled a failed boycott attempt in the late 1960's, which he says did not work because it did not have unified support. 'There is certainly more interest in it now,' he declared."

Meanwhile, Ask Better Questions?

Martin Schram writes in a column for Scripps Howard News Service that the White House press corps, too enamored of its pre-written questions, failed miserably at Thursday's news conference by not asking Bush more questions about his brand-new Social Security proposal.

"He had promised: 'All Americans born before 1950 will receive the full benefits.' So will those born after 1950 face cuts in their benefits? Even though his staff withheld releasing its Social Security fact sheet until the conference started, Bush expected some tough questions on his plan and was prepared to reveal a few more details."

The one follow-up question -- which, admittedly, Bush ducked -- came from Ron Hutcheson of Knight Ridder Newspapers. That's the same Hutcheson who, in his role as president of the White House Correspondents' Association, was seated next to Bush two nights later.

"The president told me he appreciated my question -- and that he was surprised that it hadn't been asked until the very last question," Hutcheson told Schram.

The press corps, Schram writes, "undersmarted themselves by failing to think on their seats and on their feet. They failed to press a president who was primed to make even more prime time news."