The White House press corps is protesting President Biden’s petty barring of journalists from the customary presidential media Christmas parties.
A number of journalists didn’t receive invitations to the glam soirees on December 8 for TV teams and on December 13 for other press, in what appeared to be a break from Biden’s pledge to restore civility to public life. Many of these journalists believed that they were excluded for their naughty rather than nice coverage.
Because guests can bring a guest and typically get a photo with the president while sipping eggnog in the big rooms on the main floor of the White House, the Christmas fests are treasured perks of the beat for reporters that cover the White House.
The Post, which released shocking documents from first son Hunter Biden’s laptop, was one among the several media outlets passed over, but after asking a statement for this report, they were finally invited on Monday evening.
Others who frequently attend briefings, such as those from Salon, Newsmax, and the Washington Examiner, discovered that they were initially not invited. The majority of journalists who spoke with The Post claimed they didn’t want to publicize the painful dismissals. Politico said last week that technicians and producers from CBS and Fox were excluded from the TV press party.
According to a seasoned White House reporter,“How many acts of petty blacklisting does this White House have to commit against accredited members of the news media before a consensus forms that President Biden is neither a champion of a free press, as he so frequently claims, nor a man of decency, as his supporters claim on his behalf?”
The snubs should be seen in a broader context after repeated press access issues under Biden, according to a veteran White House correspondent who also spoke on the record while requesting anonymity and claimed that their publication had been routinely invited to Christmas parties at least since the George W. Bush administration.
“We’re thrilled that, for the first time in five years, reporters will be welcomed back to the White House over the holidays. We have worked to be as inclusive as possible and expect to host hundreds of reporters from more than 150 outlets,” a White House representative stated.
Journalists from publications with conservative-leaning editorial boards appeared to be disproportionately affected, according to employees of some news organizations with opinion sections that support Democrats.
