Kurtz admits coordinating question topics with guests

Yesterday, I made the point that the media hyperventilation about the possibility that Barack Obama knew what Nico Pitney was going to ask him about is silly, given that shows like Meet The Press and Reliable Sources negotiate topics with guests ahead of time.

Today, Howard Kurtz acknowledges the obvious: he tells guests on his Reliable Sources television show the topics in advance:

Just to be clear, I never, ever give Reliable guests Qs in advance. But it's only fair to tell people what the general topics are.

Now that Kurtz admits this (not that it was ever in any doubt) maybe he'll tell us why he didn't bring that fact up while talking to Dana Milbank yesterday? Milbank was complaining about Obama and Pitney allegedly “coordinating” Pitney's question - but Howard Kurtz knew that he and Milbank had “coordinated” on the topics Milbank would be asked about. While Kurtz is at it, maybe he should give David Gregory a call and ask him to reconcile his outrage at Pitney's question with the fact that Meet The Press works out topics with guests in advance.

That's what a media critic would do anyway. We'll see what Kurtz does.