Photo Op - Not

The Huffington Post and other news organizations reported today that the planned visit of Sarah Palin to the UN today, designed to introduce her to foreign leaders and demonstrate that she is qualified in foreign policy, met a united wall of resistance from the networks when they discovered that the whole event was a (gasp!) photo-op.

Network and newspaper reporters were barred by the McCain campaign from the event -- only the photographers and videographers were allowed to work -- thus ensuring that the captive networks and newspapers would print photographs that constituted the story of Palin on the international stage.

In response, the networks did something almost unprecedented -- they refused to play along. They told the McCain-Palin campaign that they would not report the event under the restrictions imposed.

See also Michael Cooper, "Palin in the City," New York Times Politics Blog, 23 September 2008.

See also Scott Lilly, "Playing Hooky Pays Off for Palin," Politico, 23 September 2008.

The Palin lockout of the press continues.