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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.