By David E. Clementson
There’s nothing new about presidents avoiding the press.
Bill Clinton was in a major scandal – based in large part on getting caught in a deception during a media interview – and successfully outsourced his White House press briefings to legal counsel to avoid having his press secretary or himself trapped by tough media questioning.
Barack Obama campaigned on being the most transparent president in history and then prosecuted reporters as criminals.
But well into the third year of Joe Biden’s presidency, he has held fewer press conferences than any president in recent memory.
There’s a reason that Biden – and all the other presidents – want to avoid the press: While democracy may demand such accountability from a president, press conferences definitely are risky for them.
Avoidance becomes the norm
It took Biden until late March 2021 to hold his first press conference, more than two months after his inauguration – the longest a new president had gone without holding a press conference in 100 years.
During Biden’s first year in office, he held a total of 10 press conferences. Most of those featured him reading prepared remarks and then leaving without taking questions from reporters. When he does take questions, he tends to call on only preselected reporters from – in his own words – “a list I’ve been given.”
As a scholar of political communication and public relations, I have found through my research that public figures such as celebrities and sports stars in the age of social media are no longer concerned with answering reporters’ questions, holding press conferences or giving interviews.
Why should LeBron James care about reporters when he can share his unfiltered opinions freely and instantly with his 146 million Instagram followers and his 53 million Twitter followers?
Donald Trump brought this perspective to the country’s highest office, tweeting about the presidency and ignoring and insulting reporters to their faces.
While Biden doesn’t trash the press the way Trump did, he hardly speaks to the public.
The White House press secretary routinely refuses to answer reporters’ questions. Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi wrote in January 2023 that press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly responded to questions about classified documents found in Biden’s home and former office “by essentially not responding.”
Risky business
I have published studies of presidential press conferences, looking at the effects of journalists’ asking tough questions. I have explored theories about politicians’ different strategies with the press and observed the effects on voters.
Critics point to various motives Biden might have for avoiding the press – and even so, late-night comics appear to have plenty of fodder from him. But empirical evidence and my research suggest that there are multiple reasons no president should want to give a press conference.
Understanding those risks does not mean I am justifying press avoidance by presidents. As a former journalist and a political campaign director for both Democrats and Republicans, I believe that public servants are derelict in their duties if they refuse to face the press. I’m not alone: The White House Correspondents’ Association accused Biden in 2021 of lacking “accountability to the public.” And in June 2022, a group of White House reporters officially complained about Biden’s inaccessibility , accusing him of practices “antithetical” to the “concept of a free press,” noting that “every other president before Biden (including Trump) allowed full access to the very same spaces.”
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Dodging questions – or not
The first reason to avoid a press conference is that reporters may accuse the president of dodging questions. And viewers are likely to believe the allegations – regardless of what the president actually said. The tendency of political journalists to accuse presidents of deflecting questions has increased in recent decades and has become fairly common.
During the 2020 campaign, Biden was accused of dodging questions by numerous media outlets. A campaign spokesperson was even accused of dodging a question about Biden dodging questions.
I ran an experiment testing the effects of a journalist’s accusing politicians of evasion.
The voters in the study all saw the same questions and answers. For half of the voters, though, I edited the video to insert the journalist accusing the politician of dodging in an answer.
Voters who saw the journalist making the allegation believed the politician indeed dodged. Voters who saw the identical interview without the allegation of evasion thought the politician gave adequate answers.
What’s more: The politician shown in the experiment had not actually dodged. Voters seem to believe a reporter and disbelieve a politician.
No good answer
A second reason to avoid press conferences is that questions will tend to be unanswerable. As has been documented by decades of data, journalists frequently ask about divisive or controversial topics, and they word their questions in tricky ways.
There is no politically advantageous answer to such questions. Based on my research, journalists covering the White House tend to ask about topics that divide the country – such as abortion or gun control – for which any direct answer would offend some group of voters.
You can’t win
A third reason is that even if a question is not divisive, and the president answers it, many voters will still think the president is being deceptive.
I ran an experiment in which I filmed an interview of a politician either dodging or answering a journalist’s question. Regardless of what the politician actually said, Republican voters thought the politician was deceptive when he was a Democrat, and vice versa for Democratic voters.
Simply by having a party label, a president’s press conference will likely be skewed through a partisan lens no matter what he says.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
TMI – too much information
A final reason for a president to avoid giving a press conference: The more the public gets to know a president, the more they dislike him.
My own research has revealed why a president might become more unpresidential the more he holds press conferences. The more a politician’s words inevitably diverge from voters’ feelings and experiences, the less presidential he will seem to them.
Altogether, presidents probably will lose stature by holding a press conference. Journalists hold the upper hand, asking questions that pose a rhetorical minefield and wielding the power to accuse the president of evasion. And voters will tend to believe journalists’ criticism of the president even if a president honestly answers their questions.
Of course, if what the president is aiming for is not strategic expediency but simply fulfilling an obligation to be held accountable in his role, then the country wins when he holds a press conference – and in that way he does, too.
David E. Clementson is Assistant Professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia.
Pogo says
@FlaglerLive
Not exclusive, but it is something…
https://sputniknews.com/20230227/dodging-the-cameras-joe-biden-on-pace-to-become-most-evasive-president-ever-1107854520.html
Nice company you’re in.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sputniknews.com
Justsayin says
The author did not talk about one other issue. The president’s cognitive issues. He can barely form a sentence on his own. That’s why he has to read from the telepometer all the time.
Ray W. says
The ranks of the gullible have expanded by one. It is well known that, since childhood, President Biden has thrived in spite of a speech impediment, commonly known as a stutter. That Justsayin has not yet internalized that fact says much about Justsayin’s lack of interest in research. If Justsayin knew of the speech impediment and typed his comment in spite of that knowledge, shame on Justsayin.
Kind of adds emphasis to Madison’s comment in Federalist Paper #37 that partisan members of faction are a pestilence on society. Our founding fathers hoped their experiment in a liberal democratic Constitutional republic would foster men (and women) of virtue, but they knew people like Justsayin would exist, would always exist. They inserted checks and balances for every delegable power in the Constitution to protect us all from people like Justsayin. Please try to use a little more intellectual rigor next time, Justsayin. Virtuous commenting could be, should be, ought to be, your goal.
As an aside, I know a young man who meets the criteria of a high functioning autistic. For a time, he was featured on a NASCAR radio program, during which callers would ask him NASCAR trivia. For example, if I were to ask him who finished 17th in the fall Martinsville Busch Series event in 1991, he could immediately name the driver, the car owner, the make of the car, the sponsor and the number of laps completed. He was never wrong in his answers. NASCAR Nick, in many ways is extraordinarily intelligent, yet he speaks with a very limited impediment. I used to keep certain seats for the 500 in the Campbell grandstands. When my son joined the Navy in 2005, I stopped attending the 500, though I had missed perhaps three events from 1966. For a number of years, my family had a block of 18 sequential seats over two rows. I began giving some of my four seats to NASCAR Nick and his brother; they both loved to watch the races live. Eventually, I gave up my reserved seats. My point is that Justsayin judges a person based on Justsayin’s limited, perhaps even blinded, biases against speech impediments. What a shame!
Justsayin says
Is that why the Easter bunny had to lead him away from the press when they wanted to ask him a question. Because of his speech impediments ?
You sound like an intelligent person, it my be time to be honest with yourself.
Ray W. says
You lost your argument when you typed the last sentence of your first post. Visualization is but one of many strategies stutterers can use to minimize the effects of the impediment. Seeing words one wants to speak can help a stutterer during a speech. Yes, President Biden held written prompts during his recent State of the Union speech. Pretty impressive speech from a stutterer.
One of this country’s best dirt trackers, a factory Yamaha rider who competes in the American Flat Track series, is a stutterer. His stutter is much more pronounced than is President Biden’s. Anyone can see his struggle to enunciate words during interviews, yet his cognitive skills, his ability to control and focus his mind in a very demanding sport, is beyond question. He finished fourth in the standings last year and won four of the events.
Sometimes, authors like Mr. Clementson do not address an issue because there isn’t one.
I will repeat a comment I have posted on FlaglerLive. I represented a 75-year-0ld woman who had repeatedly shot her husband in their home near the Hammock. I questioned whether she had some form of cognitive deficit, based on my meetings with her, my observations of her behavior in court, during recorded interviews with detectives and as depicted in various camcorder recordings from the scene, and my interpretations of the many records and documents in the file. I hired a neuropsychiatrist to evaluate her, after she had turned 76. The doctor reported no evidence of substance of any form of dementia or other cognitive disorder. I called the doctor to discuss the report. At one point, she stated: Ray, she has a 76-year-old brain; it isn’t an 18-year-old brain. The doctor added that my client tested within normal limits on all administered age-appropriate evaluative tools. I could accept that, despite my initial concerns. It made sense and I could work with it. Yes, President Biden has an older brain. That is not proof of a “cognitive issue”, as you put it, as if you intended it as a slur. It is nothing more than a suspicion on your part, a suspicion that has multiple possible explanations. Somehow, you have found a way to convert a suspicion into a conclusion.
Perhaps, Justsayin, you should consider the possibility that you can be misled by what you see and hear. I learned this at a very young age, when looking at a stick inserted into a bowl of water. No, the stick doesn’t bend when inserted, it just looks like it develops a bend. I was wrong in the early stages of the Pehota case, but I sought an expert’s advice and test-driven opinion, and I accepted the opinion of someone better trained than me, not to mention more experienced than me. But I worked hard to persuade Mrs. Pehota to not take the stand, for many reasons. One reason was that no one can ever predict what a person like you would conclude if you were to make it onto a jury. The negative effect on a person’s life could be catastrophic if you were to draw a suspicion of guilt and magically yet erroneously convert it into a conclusion. Once again, presenters at death penalty conferences report that, since 1976, 30 people have been released from Florida’s death row after they were exonerated, many due to DNA testing. That means that 30 law enforcement agencies erred in swearing to probable cause in a complaint affidavit. 30 prosecutors erred in filing notices of intent to seek death. 30 juries erred in finding guilt. 30 judges erred in imposing a death sentence. Suspicion can lead to catastrophe.
As an aside, years ago a couple we know asked my wife to perform their wedding ceremony. Once my wife received their choice of vows, she began practicing. Time after time, she stumbled over the words, perhaps out of anxiety that she would mess up the ceremony. She asked me for help. I told her that she didn’t need to focus on the words. After all, she had said each of them thousands of times throughout her life without stumbling over them. I told her of a trick I learned very early in my career: Focus on the pauses between the words, not on the words themselves. Cadence, not pronunciation, is the key. She tried it and made it through without stumbling even once. The vows went off without a hitch. That doesn’t mean I never stumbled when talking with a jury. I also knew that if I started strong, the jury would expect me to stay strong throughout. I often started opening statements or closing arguments by intentionally mispronouncing words and witness names, stumbling over words and phrases, starting over again, taking my glasses off for an intentional pause, and other ways of keeping off rhythm. But, when it came time to drive the points home, no stumbles, no errors, no mispronunciations, no pauses. Hit them hard, keep them riveted. I stumbled for contrast. I mispronounced for effect. I paused for sympathy. Each was a tool developed over years of practice.
don miller says
so it is good to elect an old man with speech impediment that prevents him from frequently communicating with us and world leaders which would naturally contain questions–like what did you mean ? That’s too tough for him? That is good leadership? No. He should have recognized it and disqualified himself from running if true . Somethings just disqualify you from somethings. Explain the reason why he picks press that he knows will ask easy questions? He’s afraid he’ll get flustered? He gets a pass on impromptu because he stuttered some as youth??? Good excuse try. His brain can’t keep up with the teleprompter is the real answer..
Ray W. says
No, Don Miller. It is bad for all of us for you to take your suspicion of cognitive deficit and convert it into a conclusion. I am not giving President Biden a pass. That is not the point. I am pointing out that Madison described people like you as a pestilential partisan member of faction. You keep thinking you are a good person, yet you fall for the virulent form of circular reasoning that entraps so many prosecutors. It goes like this. Good people don’t make mistakes. Prosecutors are good people. I am a prosecutor. Therefore, I don’t make mistakes. Substitute “pestilential partisan member of faction” for prosecutor and result will be the same. Partisans always think they are doing good. Madison knew better. I don’t doubt that when you get away from the partisan thinking you displayed in this thread you are a very good person. But no one can act as a partisan member of faction and get away from Madison’s censure of pestilential.
All you had to do was start your first comment in this thread with the phrase “I suspect that President Biden has cognitive deficits.” You would have turned your comment into an opinion. But, no, you had to classify it as a fact and state that the author of the article had failed in some way by not addressing your fact.
You are welcome, don miller.
Dennis C Rathsam says
The Biden administration is not transparent, he lies, he cant walk up stairs on to airforce one, without falling. His handleing of the spy balloon as it photograph our nuclear sites, giving China more sensetive information. That balloon should have been desroyed over Alaska. Everything in this administation is based on killing the middle class. Biden ran on being transparent, he was gonna be the president to unite the people. We today are a divided society, worse then its ever been. He let the people of Palistine,Ohio down.Thier town is a waste dump. Wheres Biden? A president for all the people he is not!! Everything Biden touches turns to shit. Sad as it is Mr Biden is lost in a sea of confusion, his age has caught up to him…53% of democrats want him to retire. 100% of republicans feel the same way.
Atwp says
Dennis I guess Trump is the savior of the non thinking, insurrection, no brain, crazy Repubs. Trump always tell the truth, yeah right. Dennis Trump is the worse President of all times. He is a loud mouth, lying, non listening, backstabbing crooked bastard. Are you that way also, I believe you are.
Jimbo99 says
Bottom line here, I could care less about how many times I see the Biden-Harris regime for press conferences. What is material here is the fleecing of America, the inflation that has eroded the masses of their wealth that has been stolen from them in the 1st 2 years of Biden-Harris. If anyone thinks America is any better off with Biden, just isn’t paying attention. these are 4 years we’ll never recover from Biden-Harris. The 2 weren’t worth 2020-present. Those 82+ million that voted for the Biden-Harris, need to love up their inflation, the 74+ million that knew better don’t deserve to have to pay for that diversity of nonsense. If there were only a way to charge those that wanted Biden-Harris for that, instead everyone’s life sucks for it.
don miller says
what does trump have to do with this biden article? stay focused. joe was supposed to be great not the same as trump so why compare? best of the worse is not a great title.
Dennis C Rathsam says
I never metioned Trump in my response. Obviously U are still focused on the past, Trump in your brain still after all this time. I clearly stated Biden has made America worse. His policies hurt EVERYONE!!!!!
ralph6 says
Apologist essay.
Ray W. says
Could be. Then again, maybe not. I haven’t yet decided whether you are qualified to know. Keep commenting and build up a more complete track record. Some of your comments carry positive weight, so I know you can build a good track record. Don’t forget to use the requisite intellectual rigor when typing. Please don’t slip into Madison’s pestilential partisan member of faction category.
don miller says
Ray W. now the judge of our communication but can’t judge Joe’s effectiveness? Ray knows. Don’t let him fool you.
Ray W. says
Nice try, Don Miller.
As I have repeatedly stated, I could easily pick apart other arguments, but I chose to start commenting in earnest after one of Flagler’s so-called conservative leaders took to the airwaves to advocate for beheading Democrats. Another commenter recently wished someone would stop breathing. Today’s Republican party carries at its core an element of malice. I choose to judge the malicious among us. You know the type! The pestilential partisan member of faction. I admire and support the true conservatives among us and encourage their arguments. Reason thrives wherever debate thrives. You should note that I do not advocate for Democrats. I oppose those who are maliciously opposed to Democrats. So should you, Don Miller.
As I have repeatedly commented, we have entered into a long-term wave of violence, one that will likely last for decades. The last time we experienced such a wave, there was so much violence throughout Europe and North America that it became taboo to even discuss politics at the dinner table. The disaffected among us held sway for about 25 years until WWI diverted their attention, only by being more violent than the disaffected could ever be.
You can do better. A good start would be to judge the comments posted to FlaglerLive by the many malicious partisan members of faction (the disaffected among us) that belong to today’s Republican Party.
feddy65 says
Or the fact that he is incoherent most of the time and needs hours of prep time to deliver what his handlers want him to say? It’s not a republican or Democrat thing, he is not in charge.
Ray W. says
Another new member to the ranks of the gullible.
oldtimer says
Maybe, just maybe he really can’t answer questions for himself, if that’s the case who is really running things. That is a scary question
Ray W. says
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
feddy65 says
Well we are going to re-write history which falls under the current administration so the new statement is The only thing we have to fear is the Biden Administration.
Ray W. says
Snark. Not bad, feddy65. History will judge, not you or me.
Jackson1955 says
There is no way to calculate the damage and death (#Jan6 Insurrection) caused by Rupert Murdoch, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, Paul Ryan and Laura Ingraham at Fox “News”
May Dominion get every penny due them.
President Creepy says
Biden was speaking about health care policy in Virginia Beach, Virginia, when he told a story about a nurse he said was named Pearl Nelson. “She’d come in and do things I don’t think you learn in nursing school,” he said. “She’d whisper in my ear, I couldn’t understand, but she’d whisper, and she’d lean down and actually breathe on me to make sure there was a human connection,” Biden continued.
don miller says
we all know why and only those too ashamed to admit that they knowingly handed this country over to a old man with cognitive disorder pretend he be okay. Watch him walk. He never picks up his feet because he can’t tell where they will land. He wasn’t hiding in the basement during the campaign from covid. he was hiding his brain problem and from us. He even read the answers to his rehearsed “impromptu” questioning. He is so slow he can’t keep up with prompter when it is on slowest speed and he can’t read with punctuation off the prompter because he’d lose his place. Just one run on sentence he delivers.
Pogo says
@Ray W.
Firstly, thank you for standing up and speaking out. And doing it better than almost anyone, here, or anywhere.
When I read this (Joe Biden, Press…) I immediately thought of FDR enduring polio and saving the world too. FDR saved the world from Hitler and the rest of the Axis powers. Joe Biden saved the world, so far, from Trump, Putin, et al.
The bugs, (A technical term correctional officers commonly used when I was a CO) that troll here, are exactly what they appear to be. Nothing more.
Again, thank you very much.
Ray W. says
Pogo, I agree with the comparison to FDR, but I have always had a weakness for Churchill’s talents. Yes, that annoys Mr. Tristam, who grew up in a world fractured by Churchillian grandiosities of drawing lines on maps and thinking stable governments would magically grow out of the shimmering sands of the Middle East. Oy vey!
don miller says
only Ray W. doesn’t know this,,
Poll: 68% of voters say Biden is ‘too old for another term’ — and more Democrats agree than disagree
Ray W. says
Actually, I do know this. If he leaves without running, he leaves. If the voters vote him out, then he will leave, and a new administration will take over. I am not supporting President Biden in these posts. I am opposing you and others like you. You know the type: The pestilential partisan member of faction who deludes himself into thinking he proves that he is good by posting partisan comments. Again, you might be a great neighbor, husband, father, etc., but once you assume the partisan mantle, Madison opposed your very existence. He knew that people like you would always exist, and he took every step possible to protect us all from partisans. Stop being a pestilential partisan member of faction. Try to become a zealous advocate who relies on intellectual rigor when commenting.