President Obama warns US press corp to ‘behave’ during Africa trip, calls them ‘my press’
One element of President Barack Obama’s Africa policy is to encourage a free press, although he offered repeated reminders for U.S. reporters traveling with him on the continent to be on their best behavior.
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“Americans, behave yourselves,” he needled as a contingent of U.S. and South African media was pulled from a quick photo-op Saturday with President Jacob Zuma.
Obama spoke just before their news conference and may have been trying to suggest his press corps keep its questions tight.
“I might take some questions, except earlier in the press conference you guys asked 4-in-1 questions,” a grinning Obama teased.
At his earlier stop in Senegal, Obama apologized to host President Macky Sall on behalf the American media.
“Sometimes my press — I notice yours just ask one question,” Obama said. “We try to fit in three or four or five questions in there.”
In March, during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president scolded NBC reporter Chuck Todd for asking several questions, saying an Israeli reporter who asked only one question had “behaved” better.
