Why was it a surprise? Biden’s debate problems leave some wondering if the press missed the story

AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Did the media covering President Biden miss a story that was right in front of them? That’s a question being asked in the wake of the president’s halting debate performance in the debate with Donald Trump last week. Some critics wonder whether reporters who follow Biden should have more aggressively pursued the story of whether the 81-year-old president seeking reelection has been diminished. Biden has been available for fewer news conferences and independent interviews than his most recent predecessors have at this stage of their presidencies. Other wonder that without a public misstep of the type that happened last week, whether it was a story that could be effectively nailed down.