“All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus,†he said. “Now they don’t. They call us to explain to them what’s happening in Moscow and Cairo.
Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That’s a sea change. They literally know nothing.â€
In this environment, Rhodes has become adept at ventriloquizing many people at once. Ned Price, Rhodes’s assistant, gave me a primer on how it’s done.
The easiest way for the White House to shape the news, he explained, is from the briefing podiums, each of which has its own dedicated press corps. “But then there are sort of these force multipliers,†he said, adding, “We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn’t want to name them — â€
“I can name them,†I said, ticking off a few names of prominent Washington reporters and columnists who often tweet in sync with White House messaging.
Price laughed. “I’ll say, ‘Hey, look, some people are spinning this narrative that this is a sign of American weakness,’ †he continued, “but — â€
“In fact it’s a sign of strength!†I said, chuckling.
“And I’ll give them some color,†Price continued, “and the next thing I know, lots of these guys are in the dot-com publishing space, and have huge Twitter followings, and they’ll be putting this message out on their own.â€