While media elites gripe about conservative journalists being given a chance , Obama often restricted his appearances to fringe media : Inside Edition ; Funny or Die 's Between Two Ferns -LRB- which was then nominated for an Emmy -RRB- ; YouTube stars ; and a radio show called "Pimp with a Limp ." 
Because when President Barack Obama took direct aim at the media and press freedom , few complained . 
The Obama administration created "fake news" to support the Iran deal , setting up what it later boasted was an "echo chamber" of "experts" who would comment in the media to support the White House narrative on the negotiations . 
Here are 11 moments Obama abused the press : . 
Through it all , President Obama regarded himself as a champion of press freedom , having run the "most transparent administration ever ." 
After the Obama administration 's snooping on the AP was exposed in 2013 , a senior NBC correspondent excused President Obama on the grounds that he would not have been nasty enough to alienate "one of the president 's most important constituencies , the press ." 
In 2008 , the Obama campaign flew 25 members of the media to Chicago -- without telling them then-Sen . 
Obama was not , in fact , on board . 
Many mainstream media journalists ignored the Obama administration 's abuses . 
For long stretches of his presidency , Obama refused to hold press conferences at all , going 10 months without a formal press conference in a critical stretch from 2009 to 2010 . 
Obama barred the media from events -- including , ironically , an award ceremony where he was recognized for "transparency" -- and often restricted photographers ' access , only releasing images taken by the official White House photographer . 
When Obama did , finally , hold press conference , he often limited the number of questions by delivering long , rambling , often condescending answers . 
The Obama administration targeted Fox News for isolation and marginalization , arguing that it was not a legitimate news organization but "the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party ." 
CNN 's Jake Tapper -- to his credit -- pointed out that Obama had used the Espionage Act against leakers more than all of his predecessors combined . 
When a Major Garrett of CBS actually asked a tough question -- about why the administration seemed not to be trying hard to free Americans held by Iran , including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian -- Obama scolded him : "Major , that 's nonsense , and you should know better ." 
The Obama administration pursued Fox News reporter James Rosen 's private emails -- then misled Congress about it . 
The Obama administration "set a record" for failing to provide information requested by the press and the public under the Freedom of Information Act .
While media elites gripe about conservative journalists being given a chance , [TGT] often restricted [TGT] appearances to fringe media : Inside Edition ; Funny or Die 's Between Two Ferns -LRB- which was then nominated for an Emmy -RRB- ; YouTube stars ; and a radio show called "Pimp with a Limp ." 
Because when [TGT] took direct aim at the media and press freedom , few complained . 
The [TGT] administration created "fake news" to support the Iran deal , setting up what it later boasted was an "echo chamber" of "experts" who would comment in the media to support the White House narrative on the negotiations . 
Here are 11 moments [TGT] abused the press : . 
Through it all , [TGT] regarded [TGT] as a champion of press freedom , having run the "most transparent administration ever ." 
After the [TGT] administration 's snooping on the AP was exposed in 2013 , a senior NBC correspondent excused [TGT] on the grounds that [TGT] would not have been nasty enough to alienate "one of [TGT] 's most important constituencies , the press ." 
In 2008 , the [TGT] campaign flew 25 members of the media to Chicago -- without telling them then-Sen . 
[TGT] was not , in fact , on board . 
Many mainstream media journalists ignored the [TGT] administration 's abuses . 
For long stretches of his presidency , [TGT] refused to hold press conferences at all , going 10 months without a formal press conference in a critical stretch from 2009 to 2010 . 
[TGT] barred the media from events -- including , ironically , an award ceremony where [TGT] was recognized for "transparency" -- and often restricted photographers ' access , only releasing images taken by the official White House photographer . 
When [TGT] did , finally , hold press conference , [TGT] often limited the number of questions by delivering long , rambling , often condescending answers . 
The [TGT] administration targeted Fox News for isolation and marginalization , arguing that it was not a legitimate news organization but "the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party ." 
CNN 's Jake Tapper -- to [TGT] credit -- pointed out that [TGT] had used the Espionage Act against leakers more than all of [TGT] predecessors combined . 
When a Major Garrett of CBS actually asked a tough question -- about why the administration seemed not to be trying hard to free Americans held by Iran , including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian -- Obama scolded him : "Major , that 's nonsense , and you should know better ." 
The [TGT] administration pursued Fox News reporter James Rosen 's private emails -- then misled Congress about it . 
The [TGT] administration "set a record" for failing to provide information requested by the press and the public under the Freedom of Information Act .