(ConservativeHub.com) – President Joe Biden is having a rough first year in office. His ratings have been lackluster, as shown by the latest Gallup poll putting his approval at just 42%. Headlines across the board are trending negative for the Biden White House, and many of the president’s people aren’t happy. It turns out that, in an odd attempt to change the narrative, the administration has reportedly conducted focused meetings with journalists. When CNN revealed what’s been happening, some people voiced concerns.
Clandestine Meetings to Shape Headlines
A recent CNN Reliable Sources newsletter said the Biden White House team, unhappy over negative press coverage, decided to hold briefings with network newsrooms regarding supply chain issues. The administration’s goal, working behind the scenes, was to “reshape” how the media portrays the president and his work.
Specifically, the discussions focused on the current supply chain disaster and the economy. NEC Deputy Directors David Kamin and Bharat Ramamurti and Ports Envoy John Porcari, who have reportedly been leading the meetings, pushed to present a more positive slant on the news coming out about anything to do with the administration. The Biden team’s desired central message: The economy is better now than a year ago.
The newsletter said the meetings have allowed for a lot of conversation and produced good work as a result. Yet many people are deeply concerned.
Why This Isn’t Sitting Well With Many People
The most significant issue people immediately see with these meetings is that they feel the meetings look similar to state-run media. Generally, state media is associated with countries like North Korea, China, Cuba, Iran, and Syria. With the press in private meetings with executive branches, the government may control and shape everything that news outlets publish.
On Twitter, one user said it wasn’t hard to see guidance from the White House coloring the news. As an example, she included a CNN headline about how inflation is good for the average person and harmful to the rich. Someone else chimed in with a tweet suggesting Biden should consider reshaping his failing policies instead of the unfavorable news coverage.
Journalist Adam Housley called this arrangement concerning. He said he reports facts, not propaganda.
Critics accuse the Biden Administration is ignoring the real issues and trying to control the narrative by dictating to the media. What do you think? Are the American people blind to reality? Is this a reasonable way for the administration to improve Biden’s image? Or is this another erosion of freedoms, this time through the fourth estate?
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