Everyone knew instinctively that the Biden White House would get enormous cooperation and positive media coverage from the “news” media, given that it follows the alleged democracy-darkening Donald Trump days. But Team Biden’s control of the narrative can look more like a stranglehold.
On May 10, Politico revealed that “If you’ve read a quote from an administration official in a newspaper or a wire story recently, there’s a good chance that the White House communications team had an opportunity to edit it first.”
The Biden White House frequently demands that interviews with administration officials be conducted on the grounds of “background with quote approval,” according to five White House reporters who aren’t with Politico. This means that reporters submit their quotations of administration officials and the White House approves them. “The practice allows the White House an extra measure of control as it tries to craft press coverage,” Politico says.
“Craft” is a more delicate word for “manipulate.”
This isn’t entirely new. Former President Obama apparently did it, too. Former President Trump tried, but less often. Politico suggests reporters are reluctant to say no to “background with quote approval” because it could put them at a disadvantage with their competitors. Editors who want that “insider” feel in their stories will pressure reporters to follow those grounds. Access is everything. Resistance is apparently futile.
This underlines something very important for media consumers. Be suspicious of official (and partisan) sources dictating large chunks of stories to reporters. They approve the quotes; they lecture about preferred terminology — an “extra measure of control.”
New York Magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi wrote about how the White House is now policing the language of politics. Phrases such as “border crisis” have been disparaged. Instead, the border is “challenging.” Nuzzi argued that “a highly particular and rigid approach to language is a form of governing itself, just as a careless and inflammatory one was under Donald Trump.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told Nuzzi, “We are just not going to get pulled down in the muck of right-wing-driven arguments about word choice.” As usual, liberal reporters are hectored to not sound “right-wing.” They are pressured not to use “crisis,” and the Associated Press, one of Biden’s servile outlets, apparently instructed reporters to “avoid” the word “crisis.”
Nuzzi’s chat with Psaki came before Psaki was interviewed on David Axelrod’s podcast and admitted that the White House staff tells President Biden not to engage with reporters very much. “That is not something we recommend,” she said. They prefer canned speeches and carefully curated social media messaging. They don’t want Biden improvising, like the day he spoke to reporters after a round of golf and referred to the border situation as a “crisis.”
Naturally, this rigid control of the press is followed by admiration. Axelrod told Nuzzi what the Biden team has accomplished: “They’ve effectively maximized his earnestness and decency. They’ve not allowed him to be in situations where he can stray.” They’ve minimized Biden’s press conferences, even though those media interrogators tell him how moral and decent he is.
This underlines that some of this control doesn’t need to be enforced. As one alleged Biden insider told Nuzzi, “Biden is the most liberal president we’ve had — and the public thinks he’s a moderate.” That ideological distortion comes naturally to liberal reporters.
So forget this notion that the press are misbehaved, ink-stained wretches and rebellious truth-tellers. In Bidenland, there are no “bombshell” revelations; there’s only “landmark” legislation to “rebuild and invest in America.” The sound bites almost always make Biden look like a statesman who only says the most sensible things in favor of everything that is good. The “message discipline” is palpable, and the morning and evening “newscasts” routinely sound like pleasant emanations of publicity.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Oh, I thought that was Emperor Trump’s downfall—so, what so you know? They have to lie and manipulate and then they have to deny that they do it. When you can’t dazzle ’em with brilliance, baffle ’em with BS—right Joe?
THat’s always been the left’s go to..
The Joe Biden White House When preferences are made to” THE MEDI, and their Service s the preform Each and every Day is to be referred to As The CRAFT In Interpretation of Events as The “CRAFT..
The Democrat Administration now In office are managing the languages use d in reporting the news about news on White House events are ever, Ever so helpful in how the media reports events that President Joe Biden is involved in from the oval office. , the new Semantics used by the White House is ” managing the media’s “CRAFT. , as this article author revealed . What it really means only report on what we say that we do, not what we actually do.In other words, press Secretary Jen Dali will interpret the new for you, Momma, tell us a story, please !
When The Democrat Leftist ” White House Press secretary ,Jen Saki, replied to questions that were asked, I wondered why she answered in such an condescending manner Jen Dali doesn’t stand intellectually on the high ground that she should take that attitude with others who disagree with her…
This media stranglehold is just another reflection of the hackers and democrat politician stranglehold on our oil pipelines and fuel supplies, only it is the American throat of truth they have their grisly hands about to choke out any dissention. Thanks to the lib-controlled media, our now emptying pipelines are just a reflection of our now empty American heads sans useable brain cells, all destroyed in their vapid social indoctrination where the pipelines to our ears are clogged with leaky information. Just look what it has done to Joe’s brain, then realize what it has done to your own, and the guy next to you on their Socialist subway ride to an American hell, paved of course with their proclaimed good intentions.
White House ova
Through the White House Secretary, ” You Will Pbey,! Comrades, Any Questions,Anybody, Well, in that Case, We’LL Move on….
As an neighbor, when asked, ” How are you doing, would reply, I’ doing everyone I Can, and the easy ones, twice ” I wonder often why the Republicans in Washington allow the Leftists in Washington get away with lying to us daily, maybe the” establishment Republicans of the party have a lot to answer for
America’s free press and the democratic principles that it protects are slowly being eroded as a consequence of the Biden-Harris administration’s propaganda machine that spews out a constant stream of lies and the lack of honest, objective journalism in many, highly influential social media and mainstream media outlets. Instead of holding progressive politicians accountable for the negative consequences of their policies, leftists in the media either cover up the damage these policies cause or, even worse, lie to the public by claiming that these destructive policies are actually beneficial. In addition, leftist media outlets consistently slant the coverage of the political opposition and its policies in order to portray them negatively.
America’s federal government is now firmly under the control of a dishonest, divisive, and delusional Biden-Harris administration that is committed to transforming our nation into an oppressive socialist state based on racial equity and identity politics instead of providing Constitutional protections and supporting basic human rights for all citizens. If we are foolish enough to allow a free press to perish during this perilous time, then we will have driven a nail into the coffin of our Constitutional Republic.
Hence why for years, i’ve been saying, WHAT WE HAVE as the media, is NO LONGER in anyway, shape or form, WORTHY OF being considered a free press, thus enjoying any protections of the first amendment… Or should i say, THEY SHOULDN’T be…
“Team Biden’s Rigid Control Of The Press”
The Nazi Socialist Democrat Party political propaganda outlets.
The “Socialist Democrat Party State” political officers, Gestapo, Woke and Cancel Culture are just getting started. You will obey, be loyal and support the “Socialist Democrat Party State” or you will be classified as
“Enemies of the State”.
24 Aug. 2020 – Monday on MSNBC’s “Live,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
referred to President Donald Trump and his Republican allies as “domestic enemies” and “enemies of the State”.
” Nancy Plosi dubbed Trump supporters as” Enemies Of The StATE, b, Is this an “Authoritarian Nudge”?
The Press is communist and Joe Biden is a communist. So there is no difference between the two.
Pravda, WISHES IT could have been just like our media.