Biden Campaign Hosts Journalism 101 Classes for Media

Written by Jack Elbaum

What’s happening: President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is conducting off-the-record meetings with top reporters and editors to coordinate reporting on the Biden and Trump campaigns, according to a recent report.re

• Big players: The campaign has had meetings with reporters from the New York Times and Washington Post, among others, so far. Meetings have also been scheduled with NBC, ABC, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and many more.

The details: The Biden campaign shares with hand-picked journalists a spreadsheet of issue areas in which it would like to see “better” reporting. This includes displeasure with outlets that are primarily reporting on Trump’s legal proceedings rather than what Trump has said on the campaign trail.

• Also in public: Biden scolded the media in late December on their coverage of the economy, saying, “Start reporting it the right way.”

He’s relying on the media: As his approval in key areas remains low, Biden will have to rely on positive media coverage ahead of the 2024 election. On the economy, only 37.8 percent of Americans approve of his performance, while 58.8 percent disapprove. He has a disapproval rating of 57 percent on crime, as well as disapproval of over 60 percent on issues such as inflation and immigration.

Why it matters: The key question is whether reporters will comply with Biden’s requests amid this coordinated push. If they do, it could further harm their credibility, as only 7 percent of Americans now have a “great deal” of trust in the media. If they do not, it could be the first step in regaining the public’s trust.