White House plans to bypass national media

President Biden’s team know their honeymoon in national media is coming to an end, so they are preparing to speak directly to the American people via local reporters and avoid distractions with their anti-Trump approach of ignoring Twitter. .

Why is this important: The White House has controlled the narrative for the first 12 days with daily themes and choreographed executive orders, but its communicators know they need to be innovative as the press corps steps up its independent scrutiny and tries to sell initiatives like a coronavirus relief program.

• “It will become more difficult,” said Pili Tobar, deputy director of communications for the White House. “Discipline is the name of the game.”

The strategy: Vice President Kamala Harris ushered in an approach last week by giving interviews with newspapers and TV stations in West Virginia and Arizona. These are two states where Biden will need votes from Democratic senators to pass his $ 1.9 trillion COVID relief bill.

• But this ending is fraught with risk and may have backfired in West Virginia. Sen Joe Manchin told a local station: “This is no way to work together.”

Biden officials also plan to create more of their own content and revive a version of “West Wing Week,” a behind-the-scenes video series produced by the Obama White House.

• White House press secretary Jen Psaki has already answered questions submitted by the public and followed by a crew of “The Circus”, a cable program popular with politicians.
• There are additional outreach plans through Skype, YouTube and Twitter.
• “We’re going to have fun taking new turns on some of the old traditions,” said Kate Berner, also deputy director of communications for the White House.

Message management: The White House is particularly cautious with its most valuable communications currency: Biden’s own statements.

• Helpers spent this capital by putting the president in the center of the stage to sign the decrees and give scripted remarks on their story of the day. This provides fresh images and sound clips for the network’s evening news.
• They save him by limiting Biden’s exposure to reporters. The president answered questions from just five shortlisted reporters on Monday, but Biden himself called Fox News’ Peter Doocy and also made topical comments to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins after passing him in a hallway at the west wing.

Between the lines: Psaki didn’t take the bait of reporters in the briefing room when they asked about the controversial statements by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

• Psaki said she didn’t want to “elevate conspiracy theories”.
• Berner added: “We haven’t let our eyes get distracted by what’s going on on Twitter, or what the press is asking of the Lower Press (in the White House).”