Conservative Jennifer Rubin writes about how "Biden excels at his first news conference. The media embarrass themselves." Here's an excerpt:
One reporter [Cecilia Vega/ ABC News] mentioned a 9-year-old she had seen at the border and asked if Biden’s messaging was contributing to the problem. No, he responded, again offering a detailed answer about the problems refugees face in their home countries that create the outflow. Prodded with a question about whether overcrowding was “acceptable,” he responded, “C’mon.” Of course it was unacceptable, he said, listing steps he is taking to find more beds for unaccompanied minors. The repeated questions on the same topic were tiresome and a poor use of precious time.
Try as they might to seem “tough,” the media did not succeed in knocking Biden off message. Biden spoke in great detail and length to show not only his mastery of the issues but also to suck tension and conflict out of the room. He simply would not be lured into accepting a false premise devised by Republicans (i.e., that his nice demeanor prompts parents to send kids thousands of miles under deadly conditions). “I’m going to send him on a thousand-mile journey across a desert and up to the United States because I know Joe Biden is a nice guy and he’ll take care of him? What a desperate act to take," he said. "The circumstances must be horrible.” [snip]
The media did not distinguish themselves. By asking about immigration multiple times and echoing the false narrative that Biden had created a “surge," they showed they were more interested in sound bites than actual news. Their failure to ask about the pandemic, the recession, anti-Asian violence, climate change or even infrastructure (Biden had to bring it up himself) was nothing short of irresponsible. They pleaded for a news conference and then showed themselves to be unserious. They never laid a glove on Biden; they did, however, make the case for why these events are an utter waste of the president’s time.
Our reaction was quite similar. As we expected, many of the assembled paladins of the "public's right to know" came armed with their loaded questions of the "when did you stop beating your wife" sort. Many of the prima donnas asked follow-up after follow- up after follow- up, soaking up time that other reporters could have used for their questions (though we're quite happy and amused that Fox's White House troll Peter "Deuce" Doocy was "snubbed" -- see post below).
"Unserious" is the precise descriptor of these ego- trippers, who've already moved on from our democracy's still unfolding existential crisis to manufacture one around a humanitarian problem that was largely the doing of the former guy, and which will take more than the two months the Administration has been in office to address and solve -- to which anyone who has worked in government or a large corporate bureaucracy can attest (in the process dealing with the legal red tape and having to work with foreign governments).
But the need is now! -- to boost sagging readership, increase clicks and traffic, and keep the advertising bucks flowing in!! Maybe we got the media we deserve, but it's certainly not the media we want or need in these times.
BONUS: Critiques from other perspectives here, here, and here.
