JEFFERSON CITY | The biggest drama of Gov. Jay Nixon's first press conference happened before the conference even began.

As reporters massed outside Nixon's oval office prior to the newser, a secretary announced they would all have to surrender their cell phones before entering.

With a special indignation perfected by and known only to journalists, everyone in the room refused, and loudly.

This was a change from previous administrations, after all.

Spokesman Scott Holste appeared, backing up the secretary and saying the phones must be turned over for "security reasons."

The senior-most of the journalists present protested, and loudly, and Holste disappeared back into the office, ostensibly to confer with higher authorities.

He appeared a few minutes later and said, with some resignation, "Bring 'em in, turn 'em off."

In the next room in the governor's suite, a sign on an assistant's desk put in writing the same order: cell phones, Blackberrys and PDAs are to be handed over before entering the governor's office.

Following the press conference, Communications Director Jack Cardetti explained that it wasn't, actually, for security reasons that phones were left behind. Rather, the new governor prefers to have guests' undivided attention while in the oval office, and therefore bars the distraction of the wireless world.

The rule will not be enforced for journalists at press conferences, Cardetti said.

The assembled journalists took some comfort in this, and loudly.