29 Nov The unbearable whiteness of flesh – a CP perspective

Canadian Press alumnus Dan Badel, who often covered state visits, writes:

[W]hichever protocol staff were in charge would always provide reporters with a card describing what she was wearing, whoever “she” happened to be — Princess Diana, the Queen, etc. Those notes covered it all – from the shoes to the hat, which was especially important for the Queen!

I rarely included any of that detail in my reports since I felt I was there to cover news, not fashion. However some media — especially social or fashion reporters and many of the photographers — would snatch them up and usually quote them verbatim. I vaguely recall one being quite miffed when that info wasn’t provided quickly since it was absolutely crucial to her report.

It would be interesting to know if protocol staff do that for White House events and, if so, how they described the dress. I notice there are many Associated Press pickups on the story that use “cream-colored” instead of “skin-colored.” So AP must have quickly sent corrected copy, but apparently not quick enough, since the original story was widely used.

Incidentally, the Indian-born fashion designer, Naeem Khan, includes a link to the original version on his Facebook page, and has a note thanking AP for “a great story.”