WaPo's Howard Kurtz takes a look at the press following First Lady Michelle Obama these days- NYT's Rachel Swarns, WaPo's Robin Givhan, Newsweek's Allison Samuels, AP's Darlene Superville and Politico's Nia-Malika Henderson- all African American women.

Perhaps this gives them a richer cultural understanding of Obama as a trailblazer. Indeed, most write with enthusiasm, in some cases even admiration, about the first lady as a long-awaited role model for black women...

But if their bosses hoped these staffers would receive special access, some secret-handshake entry into the East Wing -- or even a casual wave at a health clinic -- they were mistaken, at least thus far. None of the beat writers has been granted an interview since the inauguration. Instead, they must piece together a mosaic from glimpses of Obama, who has a limited public schedule and a staff that fiercely guards her privacy and her image. (Other reporters, of varied ethnicities, dip in and out of writing about the first lady.)

Check out the rest of today's Media Notes here.