Palin Coverage Banned From Networks - Lack Of Editorial Access Is The Reason

If you are wondering where the interviews and press conferences with Sarah Palin are, you are not alone. The major networks have pressed for access to the "hockey mom" turned VP candidate for weeks and have been stonewalled by McCain's folks. Now Sarah is visiting the UN and the McCain campaign wants lots of pictures of Palin with world leaders.

Surprise! The press says "no interviews, no photo-ops". CNN and others have banned coverage of Palin at the UN. They insist if they have no editorial presence there it is strictly campaign promotion and that is against policy.

According to CBS:

Television networks, including CBS News maintain a policy that if they are prevented from having an editorial presence at an event, they will not allow cameras to shoot it.

The McCain/Palin campaign's effort to stifle editorial coverage of the candidate's meetings with world leaders comes a week after CBS News asked Palin an impromptu question about the AIG bailout, while Palin made an off-the-record stop at a Cleveland diner.

After the Cleveland event, a Palin staffer told CBS News that questions "weren't allowed."

In Orlando on Sunday, Palin had another off-the-record stop at an ice cream shop, but the pool producer who was assigned to be in Palin's motorcade was not notified when the candidate departed to get ice cream, and so there was no editorial presence at the event.