Philadelphia radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders resigned her position on Black-owned station WURD after interviewing President Biden with questions provided by his campaign.
“The interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners,” WURD posted on its website Sunday. “As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately.”
Lawful-Sanders said on Instagram Sunday she tendered her resignation, which the station accepted, as a result of the fallout from her 14-minute chat with the president on July 3. News outlets typically prohibit such arrangements.
The talk show host admitted she’s not a professional journalist and thanked WURD for allowing her the opportunity to speak about things she finds important to her community.
WURD said the interview with Biden was “arranged and negotiated independently by WURD Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders without knowledge, consultation or collaboration with WURD management.”
The station accused the president’s handlers of “de-legitimizing Black voices” and insisted “WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other Administration.”
That July 3 discussion one of several recent interviews Biden’s team booked as the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee’s re-election campaign works to get his late June debate performance, which has some uneasy supporters calling for a new candidate.
Wisconsin-based radio personality Earl Ingram told ABC News he too was provided questions to ask the president during a recent “exclusive” interview and he abided.
A Biden campaign spokeswoman told ABC the campaign suggests topics to reporters interviewing the president, but interviews aren’t booked according to compliance and journalists are free to ask whatever questions they please.