POLITICS
Biden holds rare press conference
January 19, 2022 - President Biden meets the press for just his second solo White House news conference as he begins his second full year in office. At the end of his first year, Joe Biden has held fewer news conferences than his five predecessors at the same point in their presidencies.
Biden has given only nine formal press conferences – six solo and three jointly with visiting foreign leaders, according to Towson University and the White House Transition Project. He has participated in 22 media interviews.
President Joe Biden’s approach to U.S. media is a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s vicious rhetoric. However, White House reporters and media watchdogs have been increasingly critical about access to Biden, pointing to his lack of formal press conferences and sit-down interviews with media outlets.
Former President Donald Trump, who regularly pilloried the media, did 92 interviews in his first year in office, more than two dozen of those with friendly interlocutors at Fox News. But Trump also held lengthy sessions with ABC News, The Associated Press, the New York Times, Reuters and other outlets whose coverage he impugned throughout his presidency.
The White House typically defends access to Biden by pointing to the dozens of times he takes questions after scripted events and when departing the White House when travelling. But those exchanges are typically brief and do not allow for follow-up questions.
- Biden to hold 2nd White House presser to kick off his 2nd year in office (NYPost)
- Under Biden, Press Given Respect but Not Access (VoA)
- Biden shied away from news conferences, interviews in Year 1 (AP)
- Presidential News Conferences (White House Transition Project)
- Presidential interactions with reporters at nine months (White House Transition Project)