The White House Beat, Uncovered

By: Politico

The White House Correspondents’ Association began as a response to Woodrow Wilson’s threat to end presidential press conferences. A century later, White House reporters no longer have to line up outside the fence each morning to shout their questions, but they’re still fighting for access: Photographers rarely get candid shots of President Obama, while reporters vie for coveted interviews with him or simply for on-the-record quotes from administration officials addicted to anonymity.