Bush’s visit to India: US media to be present in full strength

MUMBAI: US President George W. Bush’s visit to India will also bring to the country a large media contingent including some of the world’s top television and print journalists.

CBS News correspondent James Axelrod, CNN’s White House correspondent Dana Bash, Newsweek’s White House reporter Holly Bailey and the BBC’s Jonathan Beale will be part of this media team.

The 150 member strong team will include journalists, cameramen, producers and newscasters. The visit begins on 1 March.

The Indian media is keenly looking to receive Time magazine’s Mathew Cooper, who will be accompanying the president. Cooper hit the headlines in 2005 after he was forced to divulge his sources during the investigation of a leak by top Bush administration officials of an intelligence operative.

Other top names figuring in the list include ABC News editor Barry Freeman, CBS news producer Mary Hager, and Financial Times correspondent Caroline Daniel as well as Washington Times’ Joseph Curl, and NBC’s chief White House correspondent David Gregory.

Raghubir Goyal of India Globe and Voice Of America’s Hindi transmission TV anchor Niharika Acharya are also travelling with the Bush media contingent.