Last week, Philadelphia talk station WURD beat ABC News host George Stephanopoulos to the punch and earned the first post-debate interview from President Biden. Now, the radio host who led the discussion — Andrea Lawful-Sanders — is out of a job with the station.
After the interview, Lawful-Sanders appeared on CNN and admitted that the four questions asked to the President came directly from the White House and that they were all pre-approved before the interview took place.
According to a statement from the station, the two parties “mutually agreed to part ways” after the interview and revelation.
“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 Radio President and CEO Sara M. Lomax said in a statement.
“Agreeing to a pre-determined set of questions jeopardizes that trust and is not a practice that WURD Radio engages in or endorses as a matter of practice or official policy … WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other Administration. Internally, we will commit to reviewing our policies, procedures, and practices to reinforce WURD’s independence and trust with our listeners.”
Lawful-Sanders’ admission that she accepted pre-approved questions from the White House went viral Friday evening after making the revelation on CNN. There was swift pushback from many observers on both sides of the political aisle, ultimately leading to her departure from the outlet.
