The Daily Beast published a story last night about how Biden’s new White House communications team is asking reporters about their questions in advance of the briefings and reporters don’t like it:
According to three sources with knowledge of the matter, as well as written communications reviewed by The Daily Beast, the new president’s communications staff have already on occasion probed reporters to see what questions they plan on asking new White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki when called upon during briefings.
The requests prompted concerns among the White House press corps, whose members, like many reporters, are sensitive to the perception that they are coordinating with political communications staffers.
One reporter raised the issue during an informal White House Correspondents Association Zoom call last Friday. According to multiple sources, leaders at the meeting advised print reporters to push back against requests by the White House press team to learn of questions in advance, or simply to not respond to the Biden team’s inquiries.
“While it’s a relief to see briefings return, particularly with a commitment to factual information, the press can’t really do its job in the briefing room if the White House is picking and choosing the questions they want,” one White House correspondent said. “That’s not really a free press at all.”
“It pissed off enough reporters for people to flag it for the [WHCA] for them to deal with it,” another knowledgeable source said.
When asked about it, Psaki’s team simply claims they want a better ‘relationship’ with reporters:
Biden’s press team did not deny that staffers had solicited questions from reporters. But the White House contended that it has tried to foster a better relationship with the press corps than the previous administration, and has tried to reach out to reporters directly in order to avoid appearing to dodge questions during briefings.
The Daily Beast went on to excuse the behavior by claiming everyone has done it in the past. But can you imagine a report coming out like this on Trump’s press team? The media would have quickly scandalized it, with pundits and hosts decrying the behavior, accusing Trump of killing freedom of the press and wanting to only answer easy questions.
But with Biden, a report like this doesn’t generate any scandal because the media is part of his team. Just like Obama.