President Obama Doesn’t Watch Cable News, Jay Carney Says (Video)

Former Press Secretary says the president doesn’t watch cable news; is “aware” of Fox News

Jay Carney

On Sunday’s “Reliable Sources,” President Obama’s former Press Secretary Jay Carney said his old boss doesn’t spend time watching cable news.

“He’s a voracious consumer of the printed word — even the electronic printed word — but he doesn’t watch cable news,” Carney told host Brian Stelter.

See photos: 24 TV Newscasters Ranked by Popularity

Carney then rattled off Obama’s reading list: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and stories from CNN.com and MSNBC.com.

Watch video: Jon Stewart Rips Fox News: ‘You Know the President Doesn’t Work for Fox, Right?’ 

“I don’t think it’s accurate to say by not watching cable news, he’s not aware of what the political fight of the day is,” Carney added.

Obama’s former communications chief explained the president doesn’t get caught up in the cable news crisis of the moment: “You don’t want — I don’t think any of us should want — a White House that governs by cable news or Twitter.”

Watch video: Fox News Fires Back After President Obama’s Swipe in Speech 

Obama might not religiously watch cable news, but he’s certainly watched Fox News from time to time — or at least is aware of its right-wing opinion programming. The president has previously taken swipes at the network in speeches — and interviews with Bill O’Reilly — arguing their coverage is wall-to-wall negativity trying to make him look bad.

Watch the video:

Comments