Every president since 1981 has attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Assn. On Friday, the White House barred reporters from several major news organizations, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, CNN and Politico, from attending an off-camera press briefing. The banned reporters stayed behind in the White House press room and the image was striking — a few huddled reporters, staring at smart phones, in a mostly empty room. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who held the off-camera briefing, has said he wants to be transparent and have a good relationship with the press. Ninety-one percent of Republicans believe the news media is untruthful, and 69% of Democrats believe the press is honest.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 26, 2017 12:01 UTC