WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS CAFFEINE CRISIS
How the Press Corps Fumbled Tom Hanks’ Espresso Gift
The Ongoing Caffeine Conundrum: Can the Press Corps Handle Espresso? Politico Playbook Team Breaks Brewing Scandal
In 2004, Tom Hanks visited the White House. Amidst the political buzz, he noticed a true emergency: no coffee maker for the press corps. In 2004 the political landscape changed dramatically with the rise of social media. It was raucous, divisive, and a way to change the world for the better — or worse. Social media reporting and opinion blogs blurred the line between reporting and influencing. Campaign financing expanded grassroots fundraising in the parties, collecting from 5% to 40% of their hauls from small-dollar online donors. For reporters, the pressure to stay ahead of the news and report accurately was a head-spinning challenge.
For reporters at the White House, keeping up and staying ahead of news leaks and press conferences required caffeine, and lots of it.
But, alas, these poor reporters were surviving on vending machine coffee. Until Tom Hanks came for a visit, and seeing the need, added what he hoped would be his contribution to American democracy. He gifted them a $1,000 Illy espresso machine, with foolproof…
