USA Today Puts Foot Down on White House Propaganda - Refuses to Publish 'Official' Photos of Obama

◼ One of the nation’s top newspapers by circulation has finally had enough of the Obama administration’s gladhandling of newspaper reporters as if they are nothing more than extensions of its propaganda team. - Kyle Becker/IJ Review

Nice to see media oulets showing their independence just in time for the 2012 elections — oh wait, those are already behind us. Now where did I put my binder full of Big Birds?

◼ USA Today joins media boycott of White House's official photos - The Guardian

A mini-revolt by news organisations against White House press restrictions gathered momentum Monday as USA Today joined other media shops to have declared a boycott on officially issued photographs.

“We do not publish, either in print or online, handout photos originating from the White House press office, except in very extraordinary circumstances,” deputy director Andrew Scott said in a memo to employees. “The functions of the president at the White House are fundamentally public in nature, and should be documented for the public by independent news organizations, not solely by the White House press office.”

The memo followed the submission to the White House last Thursday of a letter signed by 38 US media organisations to protest limits on photographers' access.