Civic Media released a statement Thursday acknowledging that edits were made to an interview with President Biden at the request of his campaign. The station admitted that this decision violated journalistic interview standards.
The interview, conducted by host Earl Ingram on July 3, had two segments removed after the Biden campaign requested it. The edited interview was then aired on the following day. One of the removed portions included an incorrect remark made by Biden about the “Central Park Five” case.
According to a statement from the network, the edits were deemed non-substantive by the production team at the time, and the interview was broadcast with the segments removed.
The station has since shared the edited segments and the full, unedited interview, as first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel first reported.
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President Joe Biden walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, July 7, after returning from a trip to Pennsylvania. (AP/Susan Walsh)
“Given the gravity of the current political moment, the stakes in this election, and the importance of public scrutiny of public officials in the highest office, we believe it is important to share this information,” stated the network, emphasizing the need for journalistic interview standards even in non-news programming. They admitted to not meeting these expectations in this instance.
Details of the edits included removing a segment where Biden boasted about diversity in his administration and appointments and another segment criticizing former President Trump’s response to the Central Park Five case.
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A Biden campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Hosts have always been free to ask the questions and air the segments they think will best inform their listeners.” (Joe Biden on MSNBC screenshot)
The station criticized itself for agreeing to the edits but affirmed its support for Earl Ingram and his team. They acknowledged the decision was made in good faith and expressed a commitment to do better moving forward.
Ingram, a Biden supporter, was one of two radio hosts provided with suggested questions by the Biden campaign for their interviews. Another host, Andrea Lawful-Sanders of WURD in Philadelphia, left her station after this information came to light.
Radio hosts Earl Ingram, left, and Andrea Lawful Sanders, right, were given questions to ask President Biden before their interviews last week. (Screenshot/CNN)
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The station reported that the interviews were intended to reassure voters of the president’s abilities, but the revelation of the pre-arranged questions has raised concerns about the president’s handling of unscripted conversations.
In an interview with ABC News, Ingram confirmed receiving questions prior to the interview with Biden, expressing his inability to address all of them before the interview concluded.
The interviews followed Biden’s challenging debate performance, prompting doubts within the Democratic Party about his electoral viability. Despite calls for his withdrawal, Biden has reiterated his commitment to the race.
