President Joe Biden roasted new york times (New York Times) The outlet issued a statement claiming that he had “actively and effectively” avoided questions from reporters.
At the beginning of the Biden administration speech Speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, Biden noted: statement The NYT on Thursday accused Biden of setting a “dangerous precedent” by dodging questions from independent journalists.
The NYT statement read:
It should be alarming to anyone who understands the role of a free press in a democracy that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term in office. . The president holds the most important office in our country, and news organizations play an important role in providing insight into the president’s thoughts and worldview, allowing the public to assess his performance and hold him accountable. I am.
Biden has granted far fewer press conferences and sit-down interviews with independent journalists than virtually all of his predecessors. It’s true that the Times is seeking an on-the-record interview with Mr. Biden, just as it did with previous presidents over 100 years ago. If the president chooses not to be interviewed by the Times because he doesn’t like our independent reporting, that is his right and we will continue to cover him fully and impartially anyway. intend to.
” new york times Biden issued a statement slamming me for “actively and effectively avoiding independent journalists,” Biden said during his speech. “Hey, if that’s what it takes to get it, new york times To call myself active and capable, I agree with that. ”
The statement from the NYT was issued in response to a report from the NYT. politiko He claimed that the White House and the NYT are at odds and that tensions are rising between the two.
U.S. President Joe Biden toasts White House Correspondents Association President Kelly O’Donnell during the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Washington, DC (Bonnie Cash/UPI/ (via Bloomberg, Getty Images)
Tensions between the two sides reportedly began to escalate in March 2023, when a reporter on duty attributed a White House statement to the wrong person rather than an “administration official.”
Politico wrote in its report:
of timesIt’s no secret around the West Wing or in the Washington, D.C., bureau that the paper’s White House team wants a sit-down interview with Biden. For publisher AG Sulzberger, getting presidential records on paper is a top priority. Such was the case last May, when Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at the paper’s midtown headquarters for an off-the-record meeting with about 40 people. times Mr. Sulzberger spent several minutes asking journalists why Mr. Biden still refuses to give interviews to the paper or other major newspapers. Mr. Harris suggested contacting the White House press office, then complained to his aides that the exchange was a waste of their allotted time, according to three people who were present that day.
