Media Critic Reflects on Reporting Missteps

On Monday, media analyst Eric Wemple took a moment to reflect on his own past mistakes, particularly focusing on the “Where is Jackie?” incident, which has drawn attention to the cognitive challenges faced by the former president. It’s interesting, really—a misstep that many have scrutinized.

As traditional media grapples with how to report on the ex-president’s mental acuity ahead of the 2024 debates, Wemple penned a candid piece emphasizing the need for news outlets to acknowledge their own reporting blunders.

He revisited a notable moment from a September 2022 event when President Biden referred to Rep. Jackie Walorski, who had tragically passed away in a car crash just weeks earlier. Biden, during the event, seemingly called out for her presence.

Before this incident, Biden had publicly acknowledged her death and had attended events honoring her memory, which adds a layer of complexity to the situation.

During the event, Biden asked, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?” This raised eyebrows and prompted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to defend him, suggesting that he was simply confused in the moment.

Wemple’s critique urged media outlets to reflect on their own practices, stating, “The ‘Where’s Jackie’ incident made me realize how essential it is for mainstream outlets to push back against false narratives. But that didn’t happen—it was a clear failure.”

He pointed out that neither CNN nor MSNBC chose to cover the “Where’s Jackie” remarks, while Fox News Digital did report on the incident at the time.

In his commentary, Wemple also noted a deficiency in reporting on Biden’s cognitive decline, calling out journalists like Alex Thompson of Axios and Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes of the Wall Street Journal for not digging deeper into the story.

“White House reporting needs to go beyond merely observing the president’s public actions,” Wemple argued. “There has to be an examination of the behind-the-scenes strategies and conflicts that shape all sorts of issues, especially concerning the president’s mental clarity. Questions should be raised about whether Biden is entirely present in his daily decision-making.”

He expressed concern that key elements of the narrative were missing from mainstream coverage, despite the obvious signs of Biden’s cognitive decline; it hasn’t sparked the intense media frenzy one might expect.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who co-authored Thompson’s “Original Sin,” echoed Wemple’s sentiments, remarking that legacy media needs to approach Biden’s visible struggles with a more thoughtful perspective.

“Very few are being held accountable,” Wemple concluded.