Oval access

From the Winter 2009 issue of The News Media & The Law, page 8.

Three news agencies — the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse — objected when the White House did not allow photographers to take pictures of Obama’s first work day in the Oval Office — a break with a traditional custom of first-day access. Later, only one still photographer and no video photographers were allowed in while Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts re-administering the presidential oath to Obama.

The agencies did not distribute the White House’s official photographs of those two events.

An AP editor said the photographs amounted to “visual press releases.”