A Philadelphia radio host has parted ways with her station after interviewing President Biden with questions provided by his campaign, a move prohibited by many newsrooms including her own.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders is one of two journalists 鈥� both hosts of Black radio shows in critical swing states 鈥� who acknowledged over the weekend that the Biden camp had fed them questions for interviews earlier in the week.
Their admissions come at a time when the president is already facing heightened scrutiny and trying to following his shaky performance in against former President Donald Trump.
Lawful-Sanders hosted The Source on WURD Radio, an independent Black-owned talk radio station serving Philadelphia. She spoke to Biden on July 3, in what the station called his first media appearance since the debate.
In the , which aired the following morning, Biden stressed the power of Black voters and outlined some of his administration鈥檚 wins for Black communities, such as supporting HBCUs and nominating the first Black female Supreme Court justice.
The president also spoke last week with Earl Ingram, the host of The Earl Ingram Show, which broadcasts across Wisconsin. That covered nearly identical themes, with Biden weighing in on the stakes of the election, particularly for Black communities, and highlighting his accomplishments.
Both interviews made their way into the national spotlight on Saturday when Lawful-Sanders and Ingram discussed them in a First of All.
Host Victor Blackwell pointed out that each asked Biden 鈥溾�� four questions about his accomplishments, debate performance, the stakes of the election and message to apathetic voters.
He asked: Had the hosts been given questions from the White House or campaign, or been required to submit theirs ahead of time?
鈥淎nd the reason I ask is not a criticism of either of you,鈥� Blackwell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just that if the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the president, I don鈥檛 know how they do that by sending questions first before the interview so that the president knows what's coming.鈥�
Lawful-Sanders acknowledged that 鈥渢he questions were sent to me for approval.鈥�
鈥淚 got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved,鈥� she added.
Ingram didn鈥檛 answer, but separately on Saturday that Biden aides sent him a list of four questions in advance, adding, 鈥淭here was no back and forth.鈥�
He said while the predetermined list had given him pause, he moved forward because 鈥渢his was an opportunity to talk to the president of the United States.鈥�
NPR has confirmed that the Biden campaign 鈥� as opposed to the White House 鈥� engaged with the hosts ahead of their interviews.
Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt defended the move in a statement, saying it鈥檚 鈥渘ot at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer鈥� and that the questions asked of Biden were 鈥渞elevant to the news of the day.鈥�
鈥淲e do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners,鈥� she added.
In the wake of the controversy, the campaign decided to stop offering suggested questions, a source familiar with the campaign鈥檚 media booking operation said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comment on private discussions.
The Biden administration has faced criticism from the media about its relative lack of access since long before the debate.
Biden has engaged in fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at this point in their terms, according to an analysis shared with NPR by presidential scholar Martha Joynt Kumar.
As of June 30, Biden had held 36 press conferences and given 128 media interviews, trailing George W. Bush鈥檚 second-fewest of 166. However, he had engaged in far more informal settings with small 鈥減ools" of journalists (588) than any other recent president, except for Trump (664).
The practice of accepting interview questions from subjects is widely frowned upon in most newsrooms. On Sunday, WURD Radio and Lawful-Sanders separately announced the end of their working relationship.
WURD Radio President and CEO Sara Lomax that the July 3 interview was 鈥渁rranged and negotiated independently by 鈥� Lawful-Sanders without knowledge, consultation or collaboration with WURD management.鈥�
鈥淭he interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners,鈥� Lomax wrote. 鈥淎s a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately.鈥�
Lomax went on to say that the station is not a 鈥渕outhpiece for the Biden or any other Administration.鈥� She said WURD Radio seeks to 鈥済row from this incident,鈥� and committed to internally reviewing its policies and practices in the hopes of reinforcing its independence and regaining listeners鈥� trust.
Lawful-Sanders confirmed posted to Facebook that she had tendered her resignation on Saturday and was no longer an on-air host. She thanked everyone who 鈥減layed a part in this journey,鈥� including WURD Radio and the listening audience and hinted at more to come.
鈥淟ife is moving. Things are shifting and changing,鈥� she added. 鈥淎nd, in a day or so you鈥檒l hear more.鈥�
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