Biden Praises Job Growth Data, Criticizes Media Coverage

President Joe Biden praised his administration’s economic efforts and criticized media coverage of the economy during a press conference on Friday. 

For Context: A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the United States economy beat expectations in September, adding 336,000 jobs, over 100,000 more than it added in August.

Key Quotes: “The unemployment rate has stayed below 4% for 20 months in a row, the longest stretch in 50 years,” Biden said, attributing the recent positive economic report to his policies. “It's no accident. It's Bidenomics. We're growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.” During the press conference, Biden criticized media coverage of his economic policies, stating, “You all are not the happiest people in the world in what you report. I mean it sincerely. It gets a more — you get more legs when you report something negative. I don't mean you're picking on me. It's just the nature of things.”

How the Media Covered It: The conference was covered more frequently and prominently in right-rated outlets, which focused reports primarily around Biden’s criticism of the media. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) stated Biden “blames” the media for bad economic news, and Fox News (Right bias) stated Biden “chides reporters for not being happy enough.” Left- and center-rated coverage was less likely to emphasize Biden’s comments on media coverage, if the comments were included in reporting at all.