The Journey from Fascination to Detachment: My Experience with White House Press Briefings

Back in the early days of the pandemic, I found a certain entertainment value in watching the daily White House press briefings. However, over time, these briefings became less about providing essential information and more of a frustrating spectacle that gave me a headache. Nowadays, I avoid them like the plague, only watching a snippet if there is something interesting reported about one of the participants.

Why Trump’s Suggestions Were Shocking

One particularly alarming moment occurred when the “world’s brightest man who ever lived” suggested swallowing disinfectant might be effective against the virus. It wasn’t just a case of stopping at disinfectant; going a step further with lye, which kills everything, was absurd. The fact that anyone would listen to such advice was shocking.

My Fascination and Detachment

This question of not listening to the President’s daily briefing is a bit of a misstep since it’s asking why someone is not watching the President of the United States’ daily briefings. From my perspective, I have been following these briefings for some time, but I completely understand why some people would find them less than entertaining.

I live in the UK, and I first came across the briefings on cable one late night while channel hopping. The experience was absolutely stunning but in a bad way. In the early days, the briefings were conducted in a tiny room with a small stage, where participants, including the President, would move around like disgruntled residents resisting a controversial planning application. Yet, as time went on, social distancing was observed.

These early briefings took on the spectacle of a badly organised meeting in a village hall, with journalists being harangued and mocked. Despite the adversarial tone, I became hooked and would watch these briefings regularly, often past midnight. Like a spectator at a fire or serious car crash, I became the equivalent of a ‘Rubber Neck’ at a motorway pile-up. It was a frightening experience to see the leadership.

Prioritizing Information and Context

As the briefings evolved and became more organized, I found myself watching them less and less in entirety. Instead, I watch partial episodes now. There are times when I mute Donald Trump’s commentary and only unmute when medical professionals such as Dr. Fauci or Anthony Fauci, or other knowledgeable participants, are speaking.

I do catch up on Trump’s comments in replay excerpts or read the transcripts. Additionally, I follow the reporting, especially from fact-checkers, to get a more accurate picture of what was said. It’s important to separate the important information from the noise and propaganda.

While I may not always watch every briefing, I still stay informed by contrasting the reported statements with the assessments of trusted sources. This practice helps me form a more balanced view of the information provided during these briefings.

In conclusion, the journey from fascination to detachment from White House press briefings has been an interesting one. It’s a reminder that critical thinking and informed consumption of news is essential, especially in times of crisis.