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This article discusses the tight control of information by U.S. President George W. Bush's administration and its implications for the press and the succeeding presidencies. Edwin Chen, who has covered the White House for six years for the Los Angeles Times, realized what he was up against early in Bush's first term. The press has been butting up against this brick wall of White House communication policy, and complaining about it, for long enough that stories about on-message, no leaks, and no dissent, are becoming a bit clichéd. Many feared that this administration's strategy will be a template for subsequent commanders in chief. An emphasis on tighter news management has been building as each successive administration learns from the previous one. A rigid approach to staying on message and a clampdown on access for reporters and the public have been increasingly used by the executive branch, a trend that began to take shape during U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration, if not earlier. The current Bush administration has shown that the method can be perfected, with little to no downside for the White House. But veterans of the White House beat, and even former press secretaries, say that, as of 2005, people are witnessing a more disciplined media relations machine than in the past. Dealing with issues inside, rather than in newsprint and on air, is of course preferable for a press office. Ever-present security concerns further hamper access. The media have come out on the losing end of an arrangement that, theoretically, is supposed to have both sides working toward a common goal: keeping the U.S. public informed. The administration's news management has taken many forms.

Focuses on the treatment received by U.S. President George W. Bush from the media. Factors affecting the attitude of the media towards Bush; Issues that receive insufficient attention from the press; Comments from "National Review" editor Rich Lowry on the issue.

The article presents a narrative on covering a visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The author arrived at the school a little before the time when Bush is expected. He shuffled into the press check-in area about the same time as another Pennsylvania reporter. Together, they were quizzed by the White House advance team, asking for their name, the newspaper they work for, and their credentials. The two reporters accommodated the team, and in exchange they gave them each a White House press badge, but with no stickers. A woman from the team announced that they were out of stickers. The sticker people were out of stickers, motioning in the direction of the check-in desk, passing the blame. A guy with a gun exclaimed that the reporters could not get into the gym without stickers, because according to him, they were essential. So, the two reporters and a gathering press crowd, huddled against the wall, waiting for the man with the gun to sort things out. Frowning deeply, he relayed the situation into his radio, and fifteen minutes later announce that the press would be permitted in. The press people herded into the roped-in media area, where reporters outnumbered chairs by 2-1 margin.

Presents the author's views on the response of the U.S. press to the Downing Street memo which revealed the involvement of U.S. President George W. Bush in a conspiracy related to the Iraq war. Background of the memo; News coverage of the release of the memo; Actions that should be taken by news media in response to important events such as the release of the memo.