Obama's final presser gives nod to press freedom

As President-elect Donald Trump clashes with the media, President Obama appeared to make a subtle comment on global press freedom with his list of questioners during his final news conference on Wednesday.

It included the current president of the White House Correspondents' Association — Jeff Mason of Reuters — as well as reporters from Fox News, CBS News, Univision, the Washington Blade, the Chicago Tribune, and Alarabiya News Channel — a wide range of media styles and approaches.

"Having you in this building has made this place work better," Obama told reporters. "It keeps us honest, it makes us work harder."

He added: "So America needs you and our democracy needs you."

Of course, presidents also call on certain outlets because they know the types of questions they are likely to ask. The Washington Blade covers gay issues, the topic of reporter Chris Johnson's question. Nadia Bilbassy, bureau chief of the Alarabiya News Channel, asked about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Obama news conference took place as Trump aides say they have considered moving the press room out of the White House (as a way to generate more space for more reporters, they say).

For their part, Trump and other Republicans say media coverage is biased and unfair; the president-elect says it's the reason he resorts to social media.

"Look, I don't like Tweeting," Trump told Fox & Friends. "I have other things I could be doing.  But I get very dishonest media, very dishonest press.  And it's my only way that I can counteract."