Nixon, press haggle over technology at first news conference
Nixon at his first press conference as governor
The administration of Gov. Jay Nixon started its relationship with the press much as the last governor ended his: with a conflict over the use of technology.
Reporters who showed up to cover Nixon’s first news conference were told they had to leave their cell phones at a reception desk. Members of the Capitol press corps revolted and demanded reasons. “Security reasons” was the response given by Nixon spokesman Scott Holste, who said it was Nixon’s policy and the governor wouldn’t budge.
At that point, reporters started talking about walking out of the news conference before it began (and I took out my cell phone and Twittered the news at www.twitter.com/tonymess). Holste went back to the governor’s private offices, and came back with the verdict. Reporters didn’t have to give up their cell phones.
Asked after the news conference about the policy, Nixon communications director Jack Cardetti said he didn’t believe the cell phone policy had anything to do with security.
“The governor believes when meetings are taking place in the oval office .. that everybody should be focused on the task at hand,” Cardetti said, noting that staff and others who are invited to meetings in the governor’s office follow the same policy. But Cardetti said the policy would not apply to the press, many of whom use their cell phones for reporting purposes.
During the news conference, reporters also noticed a new tiny camera above one of the doors. The camera feeds to a screen on a secretary’s desk that allows her to know when meetings have begun or are finished in the office, Cardetti said. He showed curious reporters the screen that captures the feed. The meetings are not recorded, he said.
Ah, technology.
Here’s a question for the next news conference:
Technology exists to make emails available to the public over the internet, at very little cost to the state. Will the Nixon administration seek to maximize the public benefit of the sunshine law by implementing such a system during your first year in office?