Free media security
Seymour Hersh: The mainstream press relies on access. The reporters covering beats -- most notably national security beats -- must be able to get calls returned and interviews when needed. This does not mean that the reporters on those beats are incompetent or in the hands of the White House -- it is just a fact of life that those who cross boundaries, as defined by the White House, do not get the same treatment as those who faithfully reflect the view of the President and his minions. It is especially so when it comes to crisis reporting -- an airplane tragedy, a battlefield victory or defeat. Thus, the White House controlled all details of the story from the moment President Obama announced the kill, and it did all -- as White Houses will -- to glorify the President’s action and shape the story in ways that would help in Obama’s re-election the next year.
Seymour Hersh: The mainstream press relies on access. The reporters covering beats -- most notably national security beats -- must be able to get calls returned and interviews when needed. This does not mean that the reporters on those beats are incompetent or in the hands of the White House -- it is just a fact of life that those who cross boundaries, as defined by the White House, do not get the same treatment as those who faithfully reflect the view of the President and his minions. It is especially so when it comes to crisis reporting -- an airplane tragedy, a battlefield victory or defeat. Thus, the White House controlled all details of the story from the moment President Obama announced the kill, and it did all -- as White Houses will -- to glorify the President’s action and shape the story in ways that would help in Obama’s re-election the next year. 
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