Mayor Bill de Blasio’s thin skin shows in many ways, but especially in his resentment of the press.
He’s complained that “a lot of the media in this town spends a disproportionate time on all sorts of other things that are not the things affecting people’s lives.” That is, the things he sees as important.
He has slammed the Daily News (“corporate media”) as well as The New York Times (“effed up” for declining to publish his op-eds), but it’s plainly The Post (a “right-wing rag”) that bugs him most.
He has singled out our reporters for ostracism (“I’m calling on real media outlets”) and even told security to remove one for pushing a question.
His attitude has turned particularly sour during the lockdowns: He’s been holding regular digital press conferences — while battling with pretty much the entire media corps over how it’s run. It took a united front from reporters to allow any follow-ups, for example.
And he’s been flagrantly freezing out Post reporters on days when our coverage most peeves him:
- On May 14, the day we exposed his health commissioner’s contempt for the NYPD.
- On May 29, after the paper called out his lack of a coronavirus re-opening plan.
- On June 8 (a rare in-person conference), when The Post had focused on cop-hating protesters.
- On June 10, the day our front page slammed his wife’s role in cutting NYPD funding — and then again on June 11.
- And on June 16, when the front page flagged the hypocrisy of the crackdown on playgrounds and gatherings outside bars — but not on protests.
De Blasio’s predecessors had their problems with the press, but none refused to even take questions. Count it as one more way he fails to measure up.