When a Democratic president seeks re-election, they often depend on the mainstream media to support their progressive agenda and contrast it with their Republican opponent.
One of the prominent news organizations that typically leans towards favoring Democrats is The New York Times. However, it is concerning for President Joe Biden that he seems to have unsettled the newspaper, considering its significant popularity nationwide.
The Times recently published an article criticizing the president for his limited engagement in interviews and press conferences.
“For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term,” a spokesperson for The Times in a press release. “The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account.”
“It is true that The Times has sought an on-the-record interview with Mr. Biden, as it has done with all presidents going back more than a century. If the president chooses not to sit down with The Times because he dislikes our independent coverage, that is his right, and we will continue to cover him fully and fairly either way,” he said.
“Systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability,” it said.
Martha Joynt Kumar, the director of the White House Transition Project, highlighted that President Biden has participated in only 89 media interviews since taking office, marking the lowest number compared to any other president by a significant margin.
Former President Donald Trump conducted 300 interviews during the same period, while former President Obama held 422, former President George W. Bush had 135, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush each had 168 interviews, and former President Ronald Reagan had 189 interviews. President Biden’s limited media engagements align with his campaign strategy during the 2020 election, where he avoided extensive campaigning.
It is possible that President Biden is avoiding media interactions due to his poor approval ratings. According to Gallup, his current approval rating stands at 38.7 percent, the lowest for a president at this point in their first term since Gallup began its surveys, as reported by the Washington Times.
“None of the other nine presidents elected to their first term since Dwight Eisenhower had a lower 13th-quarter average than Biden,” Gallup said, referring to the period between Jan. 20 and April 19. “From a broader historical perspective, Biden’s most recent quarterly average ranks 277th out of 314 presidential quarters in Gallup records dating to 1945. That puts it in the bottom 12% of all presidential quarters.”
