The drama around a photog’s firing

Nov 17, 2023

By Lauren Egan, Myah Ward and Benjamin Johansen

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The Reuters union is up in arms over the abrupt dismissal of veteran White House photographer JONATHAN ERNST.

Ernst, who worked nearly 20 years for Reuters as a freelance and staff photographer, was fired Wednesday over Teams due to what management described as “gross neglect of duty” following a heated disagreement with White House press aides.

According to the union, management claimed that Ernst displayed inappropriate behavior on the evening of Oct. 19, after a press wrangler asked him to leave the Oval Office ahead of President JOE BIDEN’s prime-time national address on the wars in Israel and Ukraine.

Ernst, the pool photographer on duty that day, pushed back. He had already set up his equipment. And while he could have operated it remotely, as he saw it, there were enormous risks involved with leaving. The Oval Office was packed with staff, reporters and teleprompter and TV equipment. If his camera were to get knocked over or bumped off angle, the entire press corps would be left without a still shot.

Plus, the TV pool was not being asked to leave the room and it’s standard practice for pool photographers to remain in the Oval for presidential addresses.

There was an uncomfortable back-and-forth between Ernst and multiple press aides. Voices were raised. But eventually, he was let back in the room as the speech was starting, according to people familiar with the situation.

Oval Office addresses are high pressure moments for everyone involved — reporters and White House aides alike. And confrontations with the Biden White House over press access are not uncommon. Ernst and the White House moved on — he even brought the press office homemade chocolate chip cookies the next day as a peace offering.

But then Reuters management started asking questions, raising concerns within the union about the outlet’s commitment to backing its own journalist when it comes to advocating for access.

According to multiple people familiar with the situation, Reuters editors repeatedly reached out to the White House for information about Ernst’s behavior that night. Over the next few weeks, the company conducted what it described to the union as a “confidential investigation with the White House” that resulted in Ernst’s dismissal.

Management declined to share the full findings of the report with Ernst or the union. Reuters did not respond to multiple requests for comment from West Wing Playbook. The White House declined to comment.

Some White House press corps members told us that Ernst had made enemies inside the company and management wanted an excuse to get rid of him, especially as the company has sought to cut costs. But Reuters’ eagerness to get the White House involved, and the White House’s participation in the investigation, has worried some reporters that it could lead to a chilling effect.

“Through no fault of our own, gathering news happens in tense and confrontational situations. How we conduct ourselves in response is important, but there also needs to be consideration that getting a story or image can happen in heated situations,” TIM MCLAUGHLIN, Reuters Guild chair, wrote in a letter delivered on Friday to Thomson Reuters CEO STEVE HASKER, News President PAUL BASCOBERT and editor-in-chief ALESSANDRA GALLONI, demanding they rescind Ernst’s termination.

“Is Reuters telling us that when we receive pushback from a company or the White House that we should act submissively no matter the circumstance? So, if we don’t get the best story or image, that’s okay?” he added. “Every institution we cover will have the blueprint for disrupting Reuters journalists in how they gather news.”

McLaughlin also wrote that Ernst did not threaten White House staffers or use inappropriate language. “His behavior was proportional to that of the White House staff.”

Some White House reporters say Ernst has a reputation for being a hot-head and that they didn’t doubt he may have overreacted that night. But they also stressed it was his job to push for access. And they noted his booming voice and towering 6’3” frame could often make him come across as more threatening than he intends.

Ernst declined to comment for this story, other than to say he was incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the D.C. photojournalism community.

Many reporters said that despite his outbursts, Ernst could be a wonderful colleague. One called him “one of the kindest, most loyal people and the ultimate team player.” Many expressed sympathy for him being fired without severance.

“Jonathan’s colleagues describe him as conscientious and the workhorse of the Washington D.C. photography staff,” McLaughlin wrote in the letter delivered Friday. “Jonathan has a family. He has a young son. Now, he is without a job or severance pay.”

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POTUS PUZZLER

Which president was posthumously inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992?

(Answer at bottom.)

Photo of the Week

President Biden and Chinese President President Xi Jinping walk in the gardens at the Filoli Estate in Woodside, Calif. Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference.

President Biden and Chinese President President Xi Jinping walk in the gardens at the Filoli Estate in Woodside, Calif. Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference. | Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool

The Oval

THEY’VE COME A LONG WAY: Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR has not been shy in upbraiding President Joe Biden. He was slow to recognize Biden’s 2020 win, skipped a Summit of Americas in Los Angeles last year, and shredded what he deemed American neglect of Latin America when he hosted Biden in Mexico City in January.

But on Friday, along the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, AMLO laid thick praise on Biden, our JONATHAN LEMIRE notes. AMLO deemed the American president “a visionary” and said he “could not have a better partner.” Seemingly evoking DONALD TRUMP, AMLO pointedly noted that Biden “was not building walls” between the nations and complimented his immigration policies, which stand in stark contrast to the hardline plans put forth by the Republican presidential frontrunner.

DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH: Axios’ ALEX THOMPSON and SOPHIA CAI reported Friday that as polls show Biden slipping with young voters, the president’s reelection campaign is weighing whether to join TikTok — even though Democrats are increasingly split on the platform’s use.

Senior communications adviser to the campaign TJ DUCKLO did not love the piece (cc Wednesday’s newsletter). “Lol this is not a scoop. Campaigns talk about a bunch of stuff and some we do and a bunch we don’t. Something some outlets who know better choose to ignore for cLicKs. If we have news to share we’ll let yall know!” Ducklo huffed on X. Thompson retweeted the post, noting Ducklo’s response didn’t include a denial.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This statement from White House deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES, condemning a social media post by ELON MUSK that endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory accusing Jews of pushing a “hatred against whites.”

“It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Bates wrote. “We condemn this abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans.”

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by CNN’s STEPHEN COLLINSON, who writes that Biden’s stance on Israel is increasing his political risk a year out from the election. Biden support among younger, progressive voters and Arab Americans has dwindled, and Democrats such as Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) and Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) have expressed concern that Biden may feel this anger play out in 2024.

“The longer the civilian carnage plays out in Gaza and as anger mounts among activists on the American left, questions will arise over Biden’s capacity to sustain his bedrock support for Israel’s military action,” Collinson writes.

A message from Center Forward:

The Federal Reserve’s new proposed capital rules would have unintended consequences – hurting hard-working Americans, raising costs, and harming American competitiveness. Nearly every industry borrows money, and businesses will pass on higher costs to consumers. Increasing mortgage, credit card and student loan payments – even heating and energy bills. That’s the last thing we need right now. Tell the Fed: Protect our economy.

THE BUREAUCRATS

FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: JACLYN GELFOND is now senior adviser for the U.S. ambassador to Italy, our DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. She most recently was director of advance operations at the White House.

MORE PERSONNEL MOVES: On Friday, Biden tapped W. KIMRYN RATHMELL to serve as the next director at the National Cancer Institute, WaPo’s DAN DIAMOND reports. Rathmell has been the chair of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a member of the institute’s board of scientific advisers since 2018.

— RAYHAAN MERANI is now executive director of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Lippman has learned. He most recently was associate director of presidential scheduling at the White House.

— JOSHUA GELTZER is now deputy White House counsel and legal adviser to the NSC. He continues as deputy assistant to the president and most recently was deputy Homeland Security adviser.

A message from Center Forward:

Agenda Setting

LESSONS IN TOLERANCE: The Department of Education has launched an investigation into seven colleges and K-12 schools with multiple cases of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, our BIANCA QUILANTAN reports. Five of the complaints allege antisemitic harassment, and two allege anti-Muslim harassment.

The Department’s assistant secretary of civil rights, CATHERINE LHAMON, made clear that conducting an investigation “does not reflect a conclusion that the law has been violated.”

YOU GET A HEAT PUMP AND YOU GET A HEAT PUMP: The Department of Energy on Friday announced $169 million in federal funding for domestic heat pump manufacturing, an environmentally friendly alternative to a gas heat generator, Wired’s MATT SIMON reports. The funding will go towards nine projects across 13 states, which will create 1,700 jobs, Simon notes.

“Getting more American-made electric heat pumps on the market will help families and businesses save money with efficient heating and cooling technology,” Secretary of Energy JENNIFER GRANHOLM said in a statement.

What We're Reading

Substance, Not Sensationalism, Is How We Can Transform Public Education in America (Miguel Cardona for HuffPost)

Want to Know What’s Bedeviling Biden? TikTok Economics May Hold Clues. (NYT’s Jeanna Smialek and Jim Tankersley)

Schwarzenegger: America needs ‘new blood’ in the White House (POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago)

A message from Center Forward:

If the Federal Reserve further tightens access to credit and weakens financial markets, our economy won’t have a soft landing.

It’s hard to get ahead — or even keep afloat — in this economy. The last thing we need is for the Federal Reserve to adopt new, overreaching capital rules that will further tighten access to credit and hurt financial markets. Making it even more expensive for a family to buy a house, send their kids to college and save for retirement. Even harder for small and mid-size businesses to get the loans they need to expand and innovate. Increasing the cost of life insurance, plane tickets, home energy bills, and shipping. Increasing prices and reducing employment.

Tell the Fed: Protect our economy

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

As a teenager, ABRAHAM LINCOLN had a reputation as a brilliant wrestler, competing in "catch as catch can" style wrestling, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s profile on the president. In a dozen years of wrestling, Lincoln only had one recorded defeat out of 300 to 500 matches. He was inducted in 1992 with an “Outstanding American” distinction.

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.

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