Off the Record, Press Secretary, Media Talking

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A group of Washington Bureau Chiefs met with Presidential Press Secretary Scott McClellan in the opening step in a campaign aimed at ending off-the-record background briefings. Editor & Reporter reported that McClellan offered to halt the practice if White House reporters would stop using anonymous sources. McClellan later told E&P it had “misinterpreted” his comment that background briefings were part of a larger problem and couldn’t be dealt with in isolation. Either way, it appears some discussion is underway. (5/4/05)