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The New York Times released a blistering statement calling out President Biden for his unprecedented lack of media access during his first term in office.
"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," the Times began its statement. "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."
"Mr. Biden has granted far fewer press conferences and sit-down interviews with independent journalists than virtually all of his predecessors. 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," it added.
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President Biden's Senior White House communications director criticized the New York Times on Tuesday. ( Circle: (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images), Main: (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
The Times continued, "However, in meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That 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. That is why Mr. Sulzberger has repeatedly urged the White House to have the president sit down with The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNN and other major independent news organizations that millions of Americans rely on to understand their government."
The statement came following a report from Politico Magazine about escalating tensions between the Times and the White House.
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger reportedly confronted Vice President Kamala Harris over Biden's decision to avoid interviews with major newspapers.
After Sulzberger questioned Harris on why Biden had not done sit-down interviews with major newspapers, including his own, Harris told him to get in touch with the White House press office. She later "grumbled" to her aides, Politico reported, about the exchange being a waste of time.
Some on Biden's team believe the Times has not adequately covered the importance of the 2024 election, which they view as "a matter of democracy's survival," according to the Politico report on the tumultuous relationship between The White House and the paper.
Biden has done fewer interviews with news outlets than any of his predecessors. He has so far refused interviews with major outlets such as the Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He made a recent appearance on Seth Meyers' show and joined Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes on their "SmartLess" podcast in late March.
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The people closest to Biden reportedly see the newspaper as "arrogant," and reluctant to give the president "his due."
Some at the newspaper said they see the White House and the campaign's anger towards the outlet as a "misguided effort to control its coverage," the Politico report said.
((AP Photo/Andrew Harnik))
"We do not comment on the specifics of our private discussions with reporters and editors. As a White House that believes deeply in the role of the free press in American Democracy, we would note that a mutually honest, fact-based, respectful back-and-forth is a cornerstone of any healthy relationship between a media outlet and an administration. We have that kind of dialogue with The New York Times and many other media organizations," White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The New York Times's older journalists reportedly believe Trump's presidency distorted the Democratic Party's beliefs surrounding journalism.
"They’re not being realistic about what we do for a living," Elisabeth Bumiller, the NYT's Washington bureau chief, told Politico. "You can be a force for democracy, liberal democracy. You don’t have to be a force for the Biden White House."
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