President Biden’s team knows that his honeymoon in the national media is coming to an end, so he is preparing to speak directly to the American people through local journalists and avoid distractions with his anti-Trump approach. ignore Twitter.
Why is it important?: The White House controlled the narrative for the first twelve days with daily issues and choreographed executive orders, but its communicators know they have to be innovative as the press intensifies its independent control and try to sell initiatives as a package coronavirus relief.
- “It will be more difficult,” said Pili Tobar, the White House deputy director of communications. “Discipline is the name of the game.”
The strategy: Vice President Kamala Harris inaugurated an approach last week by granting interviews to newspapers and television stations in West Virginia and Arizona. These are two states in which Biden will need the votes of Democratic senators to pass his $ 1.9 trillion COVID relief bill.
- But that ending is fraught with risks and a mistake may have been made in West Virginia. Sen. Joe Manchin told a local station, “It’s not a way to work together.”
Biden officials also plan to create more of its own content and revive a version of “West Wing Week,” a backstage video series produced by Obama’s White House.
- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has already done so questions answered presented by the audience and followed by a crew from “The Circus,” a popular cable show among politicians.
- There are additional outreach plans via Skype, YouTube and Twitter.
- “We’re going to have fun with some new old traditions,” said Kate Berner, also the White House deputy director of communications.
Message management: The White House takes special care with its most valuable communications currency: Biden’s own pronouncements.
- Assistants have spent this capital putting the president at the center of the stage to sign executive orders and comment on his day’s story. This provides fresh images and sound sounds for the nightly news.
- They save it by limiting Biden’s exposure to journalists. The president received only five shortlisted journalists on Monday, but Biden himself called Fox News’ Peter Doocy and also made some news comments to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins after she ran into him in a west wing aisle. .
Between lines: Psaki did not take the bait of journalists in the newsroom when asked about controversial statements by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
- Psaki said he did not want to “elevate conspiracy theories.”
- Berner added: “We didn’t let ourselves be taken in by what is happening on Twitter, or by the press corps in the lower press (at the White House) to ask.”