Media stars to accompany Obama on his foreign tour

Washington, July 17 : When Senator Barack Obama heads for Iraq and other places overseas this summer, he will be accompanied by the who's who of the American media world.

According to the New York Times, prominent network anchors Brian Williams (NBC), Charles Gibson (ABC) and Katie Couric (CBS) are expected to go with Obama.

While the anchors are jockeying for interviews with Obama at stops along his route, the regulars on the Obama campaign plane will have new seatmates: star political reporters from the major newspapers and magazines who are flocking to catch Obama's first overseas trip since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.

A "Meet the Press" interview is also being planned.

Obama remains an object of fascination in the news media, a built-in feature of being the first black presidential nominee for a major political party and a relative newcomer to the national stage.

Executives at the three traditional networks say they generally devote the same resources to the candidates. But they do not dispute that Obama has received more coverage this year, not only because of the historic nature of his campaign and his newness to the political scene relative to Mr. McCain, but also because of the protracted nature of Mr. Obama's primary battle with Mrs. Clinton, which was at a peak when Mr. McCain last went to Iraq.

Obama's first visit overseas since becoming the party's presumptive nominee would be an opportunity for voters to see how he handles two of their major concerns: national security and foreign affairs.

ANI