White House Press Service

The idea of a White House Press Service is a respectable and legitimate one. And it has been around for a long time. Historically, modern American presidents have long lamented the fact that they cannot get their unvarnished message to the American public on a daily basis. Press conferences are a filter. Press handouts suffer an even worse fate. Only sporadic, aired speeches convey a clear message, but they are of limited scope. On the other hand, having to resort to press leaks and trial balloon cheapens the presidency.

Critics of a White House Press Service overreact or miss the point entirely. The White House Press Service would not violate any amendment, law, or gentleman’s agreement. It would merely be an additional news channel. It has nothing to do with press control, news distortion or censorship.

Most foreign nations have at least one press organ or TV channel, which is “the government’s.” It may be owned by the party in power or it may be an official news medium reserved for the exclusive use of the Administration. After all, if American religious denominations, labor unions, industry, interest groups and political organizations can own or have direct access to the news media, why shouldn’t the President of the United States?

I’ll go even further. No harm could be done and much could be improved if any incumbent president had a press organ, which, among other things, devoted space to conveying the Administration’s views on affairs of state. The reader would have no doubt as to the source--free to accept it or reject it--and the regular mass media just might be induced to be a bit more careful with reporting the facts.

Another salutary effect would be that the Administration itself would have to be more attentive to the substance of its position and the sincerity of its published views. It would thus be subject to greater public scrutiny and would help us all to not only keep the record straight but to exact accountability from government officials.

What I have described above is not a pipe dream. As a retired Foreign Service officer, I have seen it in practice in many foreign states, both democratic and authoritarian. It works. Yet, strangely enough, it is not likely to happen here.

T.G. CHAROUHAS

Agoura Hills