WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing for his first White House news conference. The more than century-old practice goes back to Woodrow Wilson, with plenty of changes along the way. Historians say that until Dwight Eisenhower became president in the 1950s, news conferences were off the record. The public got a sense of where the government was going, but not necessarily with the president’s name attached. Eisenhower allowed cameras, and his successor, John F. Kennedy, was the first to host live and televised sessions. With the cameras watching, presidents have found these news conferences to offer both promise and peril. Biden’s first is set for Thursday.
Biden readies for 1st news conference, White House tradition
