TAMARA KEITH:We will definitely at least nod to that at the dinner.
It is a very challenging time.
My employer just had a really significantround of layoffs.
Clockwise from left: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Roy Wood Jr, Rosario Dawson, John Legend and John LeguizamoGetty/Michael Buckner
BuzzFeed Newsis no more.
ABC hashad layoffs,Washington Post,CNN.
This is cyclical, and every time it happens there are really good people who lose their jobs.
This is pretty universal from company to company that there are revenue problems.
There is an advertising problem.
One thing thats really wonderful is that Roy has been working really hard at comedy for now 20-plus years.
And it really feels like he is on the rise.
He is having a moment withThe Daily Showopening and the anchor opening.
Hes just really good.
And what what I like about his comedy is that its surprising.
I just think that he comes to things differently than a lot of other comedians.
DEADLINE:How was it asking him to to do that dinner?
Was there any reluctance there, because this isnt the easiest gig?
KEITH:It is one of the worst gigs in comedy.
Its also a really great opportunity.
Which makes it a really interesting, challenging room to work.
And then you also have the audience at home watching on C-SPAN and hopefully CNN.
There was no reluctance that I saw, but who knows what was going on with his team.
DEADLINE:What will you be saying in your speech?
And it also talks about the challenges that our industry has faced.
KEITH:Yes, that is a criticism.
And yes, this dinner is sort of a weird thing to see.
The questions are short and shouted often and shouted over the clamor of aircraft.
And the answers are also quite short.
DEADLINE:Why do you think that they are keeping formal press conferences to a minimum?
KEITH:Oh, I think you should ask them that question.
They dont see the value in going through us.
DEADLINE:Biden also hasnt done a whole lot ofinterviews.
The White House also seems to like the president doing non-traditional media.
He recently sat down for an interview with Kal Penn.
Is that all that surprising?
KEITH:That is.
Theyre meeting the American people where they are by talking to Drew Barrymore instead of Lester Holt.
And they believe that its a strategy that works.
DEADLINE:How about you?
KEITH:Im not in the presidential strategy business.
I think that he would get more coverage if he spoke at length more often to reporters.
He gives lots of speeches.
The week that Donald Trump was indicted, the president was in Minneapolis, but all that was overshadowed.
KEITH:There was a lot of coverage in Minneapolis.
If you look back on the 2020 campaign, that was the Biden team strategy.
It was, We dont care if were not getting national press.
They wanted the local headlines.
And theyll do exclusive interviews with a local TV reporter.
KEITH:They dont seem wildly persuaded by our argument, I would say.
All of that is our job.
DEADLINE:Its been almost a year thatKarine Jean-Pierre has been press secretary.
How do you think she has been different from Jen Psaki?
KEITH:She doesnt have as many one liners as Jen Psaki or the so-called Psaki bombs.
And that doesnt matter who the press secretary is.
Is it more than one reporter in particular, or is this more of an ongoing problem?
We dont control who comes into the briefing room.
And arguably, not making everyone else in the room look bad.
Its not our job to defend the press secretary or protect the press secretary.
Karine almost walked out.
And there was a time when she did walk out.
Its an ongoing challenge.
