US President Joe Biden spotted with a ‘cheat-sheet of reporters’

US President Joe Biden was recently observed with a “cheat-sheet of reporters” during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. The sheet reportedly contained the names and photos of reporters who asked questions during the event. Two American and two Australian journalists participated in the press conference.

The sheet with reporters’ information reportedly included the names of PBS correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez, USA Today White House correspondent Joey Garrison, Australia’s Channel 10 Network Political Editor Ashleigh Raper, and The Australian’s Jeff Chambers, all of whom asked questions during the press conference.

While it’s customary for heads of state to receive information about the journalists attending such events, the US media has criticized President Biden for using such prepared sheets.

This isn’t the first time President Biden has been seen with such a sheet. In April of the same year, during a joint press conference with South Korean President Yook Suk Yeol, it was reported that Biden had a similar sheet with a photo, name, and name pronunciation of journalist Courtney Subramanian from the Los Angeles Times. The sheet was also said to include the question Subramanian would ask.

During the press conference, Subramanian asked, “Your top economic priority has been to build up U.S. domestic manufacturing in competition with China, but your rules against expanding chip manufacturing in China are hurting South Korean companies that rely heavily on Beijing. Are you damaging a key ally in the competition with China to help your domestic politics ahead of the election?”

While it’s common for speakers to have notes or talking points when addressing the audience, President Biden’s use of such sheets has drawn criticism and commentary from both the media and social media users. This practice was also noticed during his first press conference as President in March 2021, when a card with talking points was briefly visible, sparking discussions on social media.