*DRAFT COPY, FOR COMMENT AND DISCUSSION*

Statement of Practice and Principles: Affirming the Right to Gather News at

the White House
As members of the White House press corps, we believe we have a duty to
protect vigorously the public's right to know about the work of their elected
and appointed officials, particularly the activities of the Office of the
President of the United States.
We believe that the public's right to know depends on the broadest possible
access by the press to cover the full range of activities that the President
undertakes in performing the public's business.
We believe that limitations on the press to fully report on the Presidents
activities as he or she conducts the publics business undermine public trust
in government.
We therefore embrace our responsibility to demand meaningful and
consistent access to the President of the United States whenever and
wherever he or she conducts the public's business.
The free press must be able to see, hear, witness and question the President
in person on a routine basis.
To that end, we have defined this set of Principles and Practices to guide
journalists and the White House alike in fulfilling their obligation to inform.
We do this on behalf of all those guided and governed by the First
Amendment.
We hereby devote ourselves to these Principles, and we present the following
Practices as a means of putting them into action.
Some of these rules describe current practice. Some describe practices as we
believe they should be.
The final draft of this document should note which rules are
common practice and which are not. But this document constitutes
our description of the open and transparent White House as we
envision it and therefore isnt subject to negotiation outside the
press corps.

As we commit ourselves to the letter and spirit of these Principles and

Practices, we urge the current administration, future administrations and all
serious Presidential campaigns to do the same.
We invite and welcome a discussion about this with the White House.
The Members of the White House Press Corps