Op-Ed: Into the protective pool

  • By Bob Franken
  • Thursday, November 17, 2016 9:15am
  • Opinion

I normally don’t like to write about the problems we in the media have with politicians. Being a longtime reporter-commentator, I can’t possibly be unbiased, or even appear to be. Besides, I think we have a tendency to publicly spend too much time focusing on and whining about our issues. And now, we really deserve our bad reputation, particularly in our coverage of the Donald Trump phenomenon, although not for the reason you think we dropped the ball.

First of all, Trump and his people and Hillary and hers made the job of covering them exceedingly difficult, because they don’t appreciate the fact that we’re not supposed to be sycophantic messengers who simply cover them the way they want to be covered. Both the Clintonistas and the Trumpets went out of their way to stick it to us, denying access in a number of subtle ways — or in Donald Trump’s case, not-so-subtle ways. He has perfected the art of media bashing and maintained a longstanding tradition of trashing journalists; in fact, he’s dumped the whole Trumpster Dumpster on colleagues, coming close to inviting violent reprisals for the stories that don’t feed the bottomless pit of his ego. He’s also totally shut out journalists and whole organizations when they do stories that displease him.

Both of them, Clinton and Trump, also have jammed it to us in another way, and it’s a subtle one that blocks the job of best informing the public about their goings-on minute by minute: They did away with so-called protective pools. Protective pools are collections of reporters and camerapeople who are taken under the Secret Service umbrella that shields the candidate/president-elect/president. The news organizations rotate one member each day, typically, from various media — print, TV, radio. The few then represent everybody and are expected to file for all from their privileged vantage point within the bubble. It’s the orderly alternative to the normal free-for-all.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

A big reason for having these, to be honest, is to allow close access in case the principal is harmed — or worse. History must be protected, and so must everyone’s right to know. Hillary Clinton was not allowing a protective pool to accompany her on Sept. 11, when she buckled at a memorial service. The result was a news vacuum, which was filled with all kinds of rumors.

Donald Trump and his people are only now pledging to finally establish protective pools, without being specific, but he didn’t allow them a place in his plane as he made his historic first visit to the White House. It seems to be a continuing part of his intense effort to put the press in its place, to control the coverage.

To be blunt, the place of the press is in the face of the public official we are covering. Rather than being intimidated by Trump or anyone else, we need to be intensely skeptical. Rather than being finessed because Trump was a ratings magnet that news organizations groveled to get access to, we should be total pains. It is not our job to be liked; it is our job to report the facts and context. If the politician — any politician — doesn’t like it, tough patootey (I hope my language isn’t too strong).

America needs that kind of coverage. If President Donald Trump continues to pursue his vendetta against media, democracy — which relies on an informed electorate — will be irretrievably harmed. As it is, we didn’t do that aggressive watchdog job well enough during the campaign.

We also were blind to the millions of common citizens who elected him. We have gotten too cozy with the establishment figures, playing their phony sophistication games, pretending we are smarter than everyone else. We need to get our hands dirty as we clean up our act. We also need the means to keep our citizens properly informed. Protective pools are just one of the tools that help us do that.

More in Opinion

Deena Bishop, commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development, discusses the status of school districts’ finances during a press conference with Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Opinion: The fight to improve public education has just begun

We owe our children more than what the system is currently offering

President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia at a joint news conference in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018. (Doug Mills/The New York Times file photo)
Opinion: Mistaking flattery for respect

Flattery played a role in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

Deven Mitchell is the executive director and chief executive officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. (Photo courtesy of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.)
Opinion: The key to a stronger fund: Diversification

Diversification is a means of stabilizing returns and mitigating risk.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in