Psaki compares Fox News to Chinese and Russian propaganda outlets

White House Press Secretary is often celebrated by liberals for ‘shutting down’ right-wing questioners

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has likened right-wing American media outlets to government propaganda organs in China and Russia, describing how she views it as her job to fight political disinformation efforts in public.

Speaking to CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter on Sunday, Ms Paski said she herself is not inclined to show off about her handling of slanted right-wing questions, but that “I also have a responsibility not to allow the briefing room to become a forum for propaganda, or a forum for pushing forward falsehoods or inaccurate information”.

She went on: “My best preparation for that was actually serving as the State Department spokesperson when there were representatives of the Russian and Chinese media in the briefing room asking me questions that were directed by their government.

“So we see that from time to time in the briefing room, not every single day at all. But I have a responsibility to the public to make sure they’re getting accurate information, and the premises of questions that are propaganda-pushing are not giving them inaccurate information.”

Among the journalists with whom Psaki has most frequently tangled is Fox News’s Peter Doocy, whose questions toe the stridently anti-Biden line favored by his news outlet. The sometimes prickly exchanges between the two frequently light up liberal-leaning news sites and blogs: “Jen Psaki stuffs Fox News’ Peter Doocy in metaphorical locker during White House press briefing”, “Jen Psaki finds a new way to deal with Peter Doocy and it’s the most humorous yet”, and “People Are Cheering On White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki For Yet Again Shutting Down Fox News’ Peter Doocy” are the sorts of headlines she attracts.

Mr Doocy was passed over entirely at Joe Biden’s first (and so far only) full-blown presidential press conference in March, an omission that greatly irked the network and its correspondent. At the next day’s White House briefing, Mr Doocy complained that of the five TV pool member networks, Fox News was the only one Mr Biden supposedly ignored – and asked Ms Psaki if it was official administration policy to ignore him.

“We’re here having a conversation aren’t we?” She replied. “And do I take questions from you every time you come to the briefing room?”

The situation is an inversion of the briefing room atmosphere of the Trump years, especially during the reign of the ex-president’s final press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. A former right-wing pundit herself, she frequently arrived in the briefing room with presentations and even video montages venerating Donald Trump while spreading outright disinformation.

She also regularly used her position to attack the assembled media outlets for their supposed dishonesty, as did the president when he frequently took the stage (especially during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic).

Frequently called on during the later Trump years was Chanel Rion of One America News Network, a far-right pro-Trump outlet accused of having Russian links whose output has been unfavourably compared to state media of a repressive autocracy. Ms Rion and her fellow reporters were banned from the briefing room in 2020 by the White House Correspondents’ Association for failing to adhere to social distancing guidelines.