Advice for President Obama on the Press

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, Mr. President.

Don't exclude the press!

Max realizes that the press can sometimes be an annoying group as they try to get the story.

The American public likes the idea of a President looking accessible. In a society that has seen twenty years of secrecy inside the White House, the public would like to pretend that they finally have an open government.

Both Republicans and Democrats, once elected, can become very secretive. In some cases it is necessary, such as during the run up to war. In other cases it is expedient, as in the case of the desire to hide sexual misconduct.

When you recently announced that the major media photographers would have to live with a staff photographer's prints, it did not please the American public. Unless you really have something to hide, you should find a way to accommodate the press.

The American people right now believe you to be the man who might just be able to lead the nation onto a solid course in this new century. Your predecessors blew their opportunity to lead by taking narrow ideological stances or behaving in an unseemly way.

The biggest reason to allow the free press as much access as possible is hidden in the logic of a free press. The free press lives by selling news or stories that purport to be news. When you allow the press maximum access to you and your actions, you will undoubtedly discover when you have begun to stray.

Campaigns are not the only things that end up on late night television. Presidents and their team have always been fair game for the comedians. If they are making fun of how you look or sound, then you know that you are doing a good job.

On the other hand, if the late night shows begin remarking on what you are doing or what everyone thinks you are doing (due to the secrecy), then you know that you will be joining the others in showing an unseemly side.

If you allow the press to see everything possible, when you do step over the line of good taste you may well hear about it before you have gone too far. If you deny the press access in areas where you are doing the people's business, whether you are hiding something or not, you will start losing public confidence.

It is not possible to say, on the one hand, that we are in a new era of transparent government and then, on the other hand, deny the press access in the most open way possible. To say one thing and do another will be more visible in your presidency than in all the previous terms of office.

You are the first modern president since John Kennedy changed the way religion played a role in the electoral process. Just as his life has been dissected for the last forty years, much of it after he died, your life may be studied for a century.

Max advises that you let the press capture the real person that you are. It is a real opportunity to do more good for the cause of democratic government than all the bills that will be passed in your administration. In the Kennedy Administration, only the framework was built for laws that President Johnson signed into law. He set the tone and his former running mate used this legacy to enact laws that made a real difference.

Max wishes you well in all your decisions.

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Link one and two are articles on the Freedom of the Press.

Link three leads to a site with a plethora of links to free press sites.