President Obama: ‘We’re Going to Have to Change How the Media Reports’

‘“I just want a free Obama phone,” or whatever, and that becomes an entire narrative’

“And I think the effort to suggest that the poor are sponges, leaches, don’t want to work, are lazy, are undeserving, got traction… I have to say that if you watch Fox News on a regular basis, it is a constant menu -- they will find folks who make me mad. I don’t know where they find them. (Laughter) They’re like, I don’t want to work, I just want a free Obama phone -- (laughter) -- or whatever. And that becomes an entire narrative -- right? That gets worked up. And very rarely do you hear an interview of a waitress -- which is much more typical -- who’s raising a couple of kids and is doing everything right but still can’t pay the bills. And so if we’re going to change how John Boehner and Mitch McConnell think, we’re going to have to change how our body politic thinks, which means we’re going to have to change how the media reports on these issues.”

Video files
Full
Compact
Audio files
Full
Compact