Alex Thompson: The Media ‘Missed’ a Lot of the Story of Biden’s Decline and Some People Trust Us Less Because of It

EXCERPT:

One serious note: To my bones, I believe that reporting and the White House Correspondents’ Association is as necessary as ever. President Biden’s decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception. But being truth-tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story, and some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows.
(Applause)
I say this because acknowledging errors builds trust, and being defensive about them further erodes it. We should have done better. I believe our mission is vital in a world where people are struggling to figure out what’s true, and people with power are not telling the truth. I also believe that this association has been, is, and will continue to be critical to that mission. Thank you to the association’s leadership for your unflinching defense of the First Amendment — not just now, but always. Your decades of daily battles on behalf of reporters is why this award is one of the great honors of my life.”