New York Times complains about Biden's lack of media availability

The New York Times slammed President Biden in a statement on Friday over his unwillingness to participate in interviews, stating that Biden has effectively avoided more questions than all of his predecessors.

The press release titled, "A Statement From The New York Times on Presidential News Coverage," said that President Biden should sit down with "major independent news organizations that millions of Americans rely on to understand their government."

The Times said it's imperative in order to hold the president accountable.
 

"For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term. The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account," the NYT wrote.

"Mr. Biden has granted far fewer press conferences and sit-down interviews with independent journalists than virtually all of his predecessors. It is true that The Times has sought an on-the-record interview with Mr. Biden, as it has done with all presidents going back more than a century. If the president chooses not to sit down with The Times because he dislikes our independent coverage, that is his right, and we will continue to cover him fully and fairly either way," the paper continued.

"However, in meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability. That is why Mr. Sulzberger has repeatedly urged the White House to have the president sit down with The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNN and other major independent news organizations that millions of Americans rely on to understand their government," The Times concluded.

President Biden has also been criticized for his lack of desire to debate the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump, and while Biden claimed on Friday that he is open to debating the former president, Biden has not yet agreed to attend any of the official debates for a general presidential election.