President Biden faced criticism for avoiding press interviews, with a count showing that he had conducted the fewest interviews of any modern president. He sat down for an interview with Howard Stern, where he discussed various topics, including his parents, schoolboy football experience, and meeting his first wife. Biden has given a total of 89 interviews during his first three years in office, significantly fewer than his predecessors at the same point in their terms, such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
When Biden does give interviews, they are often with friendly outlets like MSNBC or held back for days before release. The limited number of solo White House press conferences and joint appearances with world leaders have also been noted. The president has been criticized for reading answers off notecards and taking questions only from a pre-selected list of reporters, which has been seen as avoiding scrutiny and accountability.
The New York Times released a statement condemning Biden for avoiding questions from independent journalists, urging him to sit down for interviews with major news organizations like the Wall Street Journal or Reuters. The Times argued that the president’s avoidance of traditional press interviews undermines an important norm and sets a dangerous precedent for future presidents to avoid scrutiny and accountability. Despite the criticism, the White House has defended Biden’s availability to the press by answering impromptu questions while walking to Marine One or in other settings.
Biden’s interview with Howard Stern added to his limited tally of interviews and drew attention to his avoidance of press interactions. The conversation covered a range of topics, with Stern praising Biden’s new policies and questioning him about personal experiences. The president’s avoidance of traditional press interviews, limited solo press conferences, and controlled appearances with reporters have raised concerns about transparency and accountability in his administration. The ongoing debate over Biden’s interactions with the press highlights the importance of presidential accessibility and open dialogue with the media in a democracy.
