I gotta vent tonight here. I am embarrassed over this. Since yesterday, I had been hearing rumors about Robert Gibbs being a racist suddenly from some reports. At first I didn't see the briefing, and wondered why in the hell would Press Secretary Gibbs do something that would construed as racist, knowing the Boss would call his butt into the office for a thorough yelling session. President Obama may be cool, but I don't think he would have taken this lightly. So, I went to C-Span and watched the press briefing to actually see what had transpired.
I have never have been embarrassed in all of my life at that. Its when she gets to asking about magazine spreads that Desiree Rogers has done and how that seems to overshadow the First Lady. I'm sorry, but if April Ryan felt that was important, she needed to work for the Globe magazine, because that seemed a question a lying tabloid would ask. She further degraded herself and her profession when she then rudely told Robert Gibbs not to fan off her ridiculous question. Was she invited, "SHE'S THE GOD*&#! PRESS SECRETARY!!!" Oh GOD! Robert Gibbs was in the right in defending Ms.Rogers as well as not answering those so called "real" questions from Ms.Ryan. I couldn't blame him when he wouldn't answer those questions. All have to say is, Ms. Ryan better be lucky I was not the Press Secretary, because trust me, once she said anything like "don't play with me." at me, she would have not been in that press room or back at the White House. I'd ask for another reporter from American Urban Radio Networks to send another reporter, or risk not being called on ever again.
That made me so angry and embarrassed. I emailed American Urban Radio Network's executive directors. I don't know if that would do anything, but it felt great to lay off some steam.
Dear Howard Eisen,
As an executive vice president, you ought to know about delivering high class journalism to your audience. Especially when this pertains to the White House. I write this as a African American from the state of Georgia, and I have to say that while I always liked her take on Washington politics before, even when I disagreed with some of that analysis, I must say that Ms.April Ryan's performance at the last Press Briefing was one of the most embarrassing, underhanded and lazy attempts at hard hitting journalism that I had ever seen. Mr. Eisen, I believe that journalists should hold this White House as accountable, for they conduct a service to the American voter. However, Ms.Ryan's questions, "One being, "Well, what about the issues of her being in fashion spreads early on in the administration? Did you put the brakes on that? I mean, that is — it’s been raised. It’s now public. It’s — you know, you saw it in the magazines, her pictorials. You saw her on the cover of –" and another being, "Was there a concern in this White House that she came out being, some might have called her the belle of the ball, overshadowing the First Lady?" signified to me that your company is not here to inform the public about real pressing issues such as the Afghan/Pakistan conflict or the Economic Recession, but to pawn off tabloid questions off to urban audiences to pass it off as real news. I'm one of those "real Americans" out there Mr.Eisen. If I wanted to hear anything about this, I would watch TMZ and pick up an InStyle magazine.
I was incensed at the attitude and disrespectful behavior that Ms. Ryan directed at Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. No matter of the content of your questions, I always believed that journalists were at least cordial to their respondents, especially when it is a representative voice of the White House and the duly elected President of the United States. Her behavior was a great crass insult to the White House, the Press Secretary, the Administration, and the American populace. I hope that you forward my e-mail to Ms. Ryan to show her that one of the people who demand real journalism believes that her performance a couple of days ago was so beneath her journalistic integrity as well as herself and the communities that she represents in the Urban, African American and woman communities. I hope and pray that in the future, she represents your broadcasting company with the integrity and dignity it deserves.
Sincerely,
An Informed American citizen.
Thats all tonight, just had to let some steam off.