WURD, a Philadelphia radio station, has decided to part ways with a host who conducted an interview with President Biden using questions provided by the Biden campaign. The station deemed the interview as a violation of its journalistic independence. Andrea Lawful-Sanders, the host, resigned in a mutual agreement with WURD after the station released a statement emphasizing the importance of maintaining trust with its listeners by not agreeing to predetermined questions.
During the interview, Lawful-Sanders asked President Biden questions that some considered to be soft and lacking in depth, especially following his recent debate performance. The interview did not fully address the concerns that many listeners were hoping to hear about. The station clarified that the interview and questions were solely arranged by the host for her show, “The Source.”
In a statement to CNN, Lawful-Sanders confirmed that she had received prepared questions from the Biden campaign for approval before the interview. While it is common for political staff to suggest topics for media appearances, the use of pre-screened questions has sparked criticism in this case.
Another radio host, Earl Ingram, who interviewed President Biden last week, also received a list of prepared questions. The similarity in queries and responses between the two interviews has raised concerns about the transparency and independence of such interviews. The Biden campaign has since stated that they will not be suggesting questions for future interviews.
