Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon Jr. called on the media to cover President Biden "more positively" on Monday and contended that "relentless negative coverage is toxic for politicians."
Bacon Jr. wrote that the mainstream media contributed a lot to the president's "declining support."
"Its flawed coverage model of politics and government is bad for more than just Biden — it results in a distorted national discourse that weakens our democracy. The media needs to find a different way to cover Washington," he said.
BIDEN FRUSTRATED WITH AIDES FOR WALKING BACK STATEMENTS, WORRIES HE LOOKS WEAK: REPORT
He said that the president's sharpest dip in approval was in August 2021 after the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said "the media’s 24/7, highly negative coverage" of the withdrawal caused his approval rating to go down.
"To be clear, Biden deserved criticism," the Washington Post columnist said. He argued that the Afghanistan withdrawal dominated newspapers and outlets as if it was "the only thing happening in the world."
FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo President Joe Biden speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
"Biden coverage shifted in this direction because of the media’s long-standing biases toward bothsidesism and strong criticism of those in power," Bacon Jr. contended.
He said that inflation became an issue that media outlets could "ding the president on." Inflation rose 9.1% in June from last year, reaching a fresh 40-year high. The president said that the June inflation numbers were "out of date."
"Biden’s arc shows what happens if this broad tenor turns against a politician. There seems to be a generalized frustration with him, as opposed to unhappiness over a single issue or two, even among people who don’t closely follow traditional news outlets or are generally supportive of his views," he wrote.
Bacon Jr. argued that it was very hard for Biden to demonstrate his capabilities while newspapers and other media outlets were constantly seeking out "something negative."
President Joe Biden speaks at Business Roundtable's CEO quarterly meeting, Monday, March 21, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, NBC, and more have recently reported on turmoil within the White House, backlash aimed at the president from members of his own party looking ahead to 2024 and the White House's messaging challenges in the face of skyrocketing inflation and high gas prices.
Bacon Jr. also said that negative media coverage contributes to "warped polling."
"Yes, I am calling for the media to cover Biden more positively. Not in the sense of declaring Biden a better man than Trump (though that is obviously true)," he continued.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Washington. At left is comedian Trevor Noah. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The author said that media outlets should be comparing Democratic solutions to Republican solutions with regard to certain issues, but also said that Americans were not getting a "fair look" when it comes to Biden's abilities.
"The media has focused on showing that it is not too biased toward Democrats," he wrote.
Media outlets offered some criticism of Biden in January after the president said he "outperformed" in his first year in office during a press conference.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox