Politics Meet Jen Psaki, Biden's press secretary who's pledged to bring 'truth' back to White House press briefings

© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds her first briefing on Wednesday. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki held her first briefing hours after the January 20 inauguration.
• She promised reporters that she would bring "truth and transparency back to the briefing room."
• Psaki is a veteran political communicator with experience at the White House and State Department.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Joe Biden's White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is a seasoned Democratic operative and is promising a very different tenure than her most recent predecessors.

Biden's White House press secretary Jen Psaki promises to bring 'transparency and truth' back to the briefing room

Psaki said the administration will restore daily weekday press briefings and regular briefings with public health officials to discuss the pandemic. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. White House press secretary Jen Psaki held the first press briefing of President Joe Biden's new administration on Wednesday evening and pledged to bring "transparency and truth back to the briefing room" in an indirect critique of the previous administration. "I have deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy and for the role all of you play," she said.

Four years on, Jen Psaki delivered the first briefing of Joe Biden ’ s administration from the same lectern in the same room. Spicer redux it was not. When the president asked me to serve in this role, we talked about the importance of bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki held the first press briefing of Joe Biden ’ s presidency Wednesday night. Psaki vowed to bring truth and transparency to the briefing room, a clear reference to her predecessors under President Donald Trump. (Jan.

The previous administration's relationship with the media was guided by former President Donald Trump's attacks on the free press as the "enemy of the people." Psaki, for her part, began her new role by promising to bring "truth and transparency back to the briefing room" and acknowledging how important the news media is to a democracy.

"I have deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy and for the role all of you play," she said during a half-hour briefing on Wednesday night. "There will be moments when we disagree ... but we have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people."

Psaki promised press briefings every weekday, regular briefings with health officials, and stricter COVID-19 mitigation rules for staffers and reporters within the White House - all of which mark a clear break from the Trump White House's policies. Unlike Trump's four press secretaries, who skipped briefings sometimes for months on end and often didn't take questions, Psaki gave every reporter in the room the opportunity to ask multiple questions and maintained a collegial demeanor. She did not attack reporters or peddle in obvious lies.

Jen Psaki: Biden White House press secretary pledges to share 'accurate information with the American people'

A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter."Let's do this again tomorrow," President Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki said at the close of her first White House press briefing on Wednesday, and many Americans, regardless of political bent, profession, state, or identity, said: Yes please.

In November, Joe Biden named veteran Democratic spokesperson Jen Psaki as his White House press secretary , rounding out an all-woman senior communications team for his administration. Ms Psaki will be one of seven women to fill the upper ranks of Mr Biden ’ s communications team, and

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she has a ‘deep respect for the role of a free and independent press ’ and that she shares a common goal with journalists: “His (President Biden ) objective and commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government, to share the truth

© Kasim Ileri/Getty Images Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby (L) and U.S. State Department spokesperson Jennifer Psaki (R) hold a joint press conference at the state department in Washington DC, United States on October 16, 2014. Kasim Ileri/Getty Images

A slew of reporters and commentators responded to the briefing with a mix of praise and relief.

"First non-weird White House Press Secretary in four years," Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian and commentator, tweeted.

—Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 21, 2021

—jelani cobb (@jelani9) January 21, 2021

But conservatives accused the press of treating Psaki better than they did her predecessors. Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade argued that the White House reporters were overly "cordial." Kilmeade co-hosts "Fox & Friends," one of Trump's favorite TV programs, and has previously urged the ex-president not to call the media the "enemy of the people."

Power Up: Unity in Washington will be harder than Biden makes it sound

Republicans are already objecting to some of his first moves in office. © Jim Lo Scalzo/AP President Biden signs three documents including an inauguration declaration, cabinet nominations and sub-cabinet nominations in the President's Room at the US Capitol after the inauguration ceremony (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Photo via AP) Some Republicans such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) even trashed Biden's speech itself, which was widely-lauded for its appeals for Americans to set aside their political differences and work together for a better country.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she has a ‘deep respect for the role of a free and independent press ’ and that she shares a common goal with journalists: “His (President Biden ) objective and commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government, to share the truth

Psaki emphasized the "importance of bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room." Watch her briefing . A look back at President Biden ' s road to the White House .

An experienced hand

Psaki, 42, is among the most seasoned operatives to hold her new position and is deeply familiar with the White House communications shop.

The Connecticut native began her career in Democratic politics shortly after college and rose swiftly through the ranks, chiefly as a spokesperson. She joined former President Barack Obama's first campaign in 2008, serving as his traveling press secretary, and then worked on his White House communications team as deputy press secretary and deputy communications director.

After a brief stint at a Washington, DC, political consulting firm, Psaki became the spokesperson for the State Department in 2012, defending then-Secretary of State John Kerry's global diplomacy. She was passed over for the White House press secretary role in 2014, but ultimately made her way back to the White House in 2015 as Obama's communications director.

© NICHOLAS KAMM/Getty Images White House Communications Director Jen Psaki listens to US President Barack Obama makes a statement at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2015 after a deal was reached on Iran's nuclear program. NICHOLAS KAMM/Getty Images

Despite her background, Psaki wasn't an obvious pick to be the face of the Biden administration.

Jen Psaki Is Living Her Best Life

The new White House press secretary has enjoyed a wave of rave reviews as the media signal their intention to take the next four years off.In a column, CNN’s Brian Stelter gushed that “Biden’s first day, and Psaki’s first day, sent a message that functional government is back” lauding the new press secretary for her assertion that “we [the administration and the press] have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people.” On Stelter’s show, Reliable Sources — oh, that name! — the chyron “Psaki promises to share ‘accurate info’ (how refreshing)” aided viewers as Stelter gave a glowing review of her first day.

Since leaving the Obama White House in January 2017, she's spent the last four years as a political commentator on CNN, a political consultant, and as a fellow at Georgetown University.

She didn't work for Biden or any other 2020 presidential candidate's campaign and joined Biden's presidential transition team without any expectation of serving in his White House, Politico reported.

Unlike many of her predecessors and other contenders for the job, Psaki has experience with national security and foreign policy issues from her time at the State Department. She also dealt with an economic crisis under Obama's administration.

Crucially, she has a long-standing relationship with Biden.

© Alex Wong/Getty Images White House staff, including Press Secretary Josh Earnest (2nd L), senior advisor Valerie Jarrett (3rd L) and Communication Director Jen Psaki (2nd R), listen as U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement on the election results at the Rose Garden of the White House November 9, 2016. Alex Wong/Getty Images