The same mainstream media that dragged Joe Biden over the finish line last year is now turning on him, only eight months into his term. NBC's "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd is calling out Biden's credibility; CBS Morning Host Gayle King recently pressed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the administration's "very bad behavior" on Afghanistan, immigration and other issues; and White House reporters filed a formal complaint last week over the president refusing to take questions during a joint press briefing with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The media turning on Biden comes as he faces multiple crises and falling poll numbers that are almost impossible to ignore. "For so long (the media) were pro-Biden and carrying Biden's water was kind of what they did, but after he took office they needed him to perform," says Jeffrey McCall, media studies professor at DePauw University. "Now, Biden being 'not Trump' is no longer enough, and the media just can't maintain what little is left of its credibility by shilling for Biden."
McCall also points out that many of these media figures were never big Biden supporters to begin with, but jumped on his bandwagon after he became the nominee against Donald Trump. "They were pushing candidates like Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris during the primaries," he tells KTRH. "Biden was clearly a consolation price for the left-of-center media, and now that he's in office and not delivering on the left-of-center wish list, it's easy for them to turn on him."
With the midterm elections coming up next year, it's likely the mainstream media will hop back on the Biden bandwagon. But McCall warns this happening so soon could spell big trouble for the administration. "I think the Biden administration should be very conscious of what's going on here," he says. "Because the polls are dropping of course, but beyond that, if they don't have the media on their side, the polls will continue to drop and they won't be able to bolster themselves against declining public sentiment."
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