Soundbite: Why Isn’t Pres. Obama Doing More Media Appearances?

“It would be hard — impossible, actually — to argue that Obama hasn’t been accessible to the media, not with his constant television interviews. The man has even done color commentary at a Georgetown basketball game. But the decision to bypass the White House press corps is no accident.”

– Howard Kurtz writes about Pres. Obama’s recent media strategy, which includes many appearances but less directly with the White House press corps.

Do you feel like you haven’t seen Pres. Obama doing enough media appearances and interviews? Probably not. But that’s because he’s gone through other means – a YouTube Q&A, a college basketball broadcast – in addition to one-off interviews on broadcast networks. And this strategy is not making the White House press corps who covers the President the most very happy.

The complaints by the White House press corps seem to hinge on the fact that Pres. Obama has not held a full news conference since July.

“It’s a source of great frustration here,” says Chip Reid, CBS’s White House correspondent. “It’s important for us to hold the president’s feet to the fire.”

NBC White House reporter Chuck Todd calls the situation a “shame,” saying the administration is trying to control the message rather than allowing Obama to be seen “unscripted.”

So while Obama sits down with Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric and Steve Kroft, the White House press corps isn’t getting the direct Q&A they desire. As Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says, “We have probably done more interviews with more reporters at this point in our presidency than anybody else has.”

And while many would argue it sometimes feels like Pres. Obama is the biggest media star in the country, that seven months has passed since the last press conference is surprising – and a valid point. We’ve seen the town halls, we’ve seen the speeches. When will Pres. Obama spar with the press corps who regularly covers him again?

—–
» Follow Steve Krakauer on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter.

Sign up for Mediaite's daily newsletter.