The Biden administration has found itself embroiled in controversy after a reporter accused the White House of purposefully deleting a heated exchange with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre from Monday’s official live stream. Simon Ateba, a White House correspondent for Today News Africa, alleged that the White House had been discriminating against him.
In the exchange, which was initially missing but later restored after Fox News reached out for comment, Ateba confronted Jean-Pierre about alleged discrimination, saying, “You’ve been discriminating against me for the past nine months.” Jean-Pierre responded by calling Ateba rude and threatened to end the press briefing if his interruptions persisted, even before other reporters had the chance to ask their questions.
Following Fox News Digital’s inquiry regarding the missing segment, the White House attributed the omission to a technical error with the encoder that feeds the live stream to YouTube. However, Ateba remained skeptical, accusing the White House of intentionally removing the exchange.
Ateba revealed that he has consistently felt marginalized, citing instances where he has been excluded from White House events, his emails have gone unanswered, and he has been ignored during press briefings for months. He asserted that the administration blacklists problematic reporters and stifles their ability to ask questions or engage with officials, ultimately sidelining them.
Ateba emphasized that his role as a journalist is not to befriend the White House but to challenge the comfortable and make them uncomfortable. However, he lamented that such efforts result in attempts to sideline him, causing others to distance themselves from him to protect their own standing with the administration.
Furthermore, Ateba found it offensive that the Biden administration claimed to be deepening ties with Africa while sidelining an African reporter in the Washington briefing room. He expressed disappointment that despite his efforts to strengthen relations between the United States and Africa, he had been ignored, banned, and discriminated against.
“I’ve done my best,” Ateba remarked. “And when people look back in the next few years, they will see an African journalist in the briefing room trying to do his job, attempting to ask the right questions and forge stronger ties between the U.S. and Africa.”
The controversy surrounding the deleted exchange raises concerns about press freedom and fair treatment of journalists within the Biden administration. Critics argue that it is essential for the White House to uphold its commitment to the freedom of the press by fostering an environment where all journalists, regardless of background or perspective, can freely engage and hold the government accountable.
Biden administration says its committed to freedom of the press, but reporter @simonateba says they don’t respect the First Amendment. On Monday, @PressSec was talking about freedom of the press when Ateba who says he hasn’t been called on for 9 months – was once again shot down… pic.twitter.com/KZS99ustQ2
— Stella Escobedo (@StellaEscoTV) June 28, 2023
