You will listen to every word I have to say: this week on Fresh Powder

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You will listen to every word I have to say.

The job of White House press secretary is the most public of any administration, but the bar for their performance is probably as low as ever — at least as far as how present they choose to be — because of how the previous administration treated it. (Do you really know who Stephanie Grisham is?) So, seeing President Joe Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki step out for a formal briefing on inauguration day, the next day and so on, satisfying by itself. Now, with first impressions behind us, her real work begins. The New York Times: “Psaki has come to the job at a difficult moment. She will be a critical player in reassuring Americans that the coronavirus pandemic can be soon defeated and in helping to restore the credibility of the White House with the news media and the public after four years of falsehoods and hostility from President Donald J. Trump and his aides.” (The daily press briefing is back, baby.)

. . . Here are readouts of every press briefing so far.

. . . “There’s something about teaching four-year-olds how to swim—convincing them they can trust you and, yes, they should put their head under water and, yes, you’re going to catch them—that’s been applicable to all sorts of things in life.” Psaki looks back on the life and career that brought her to the briefing room (Elle)

In other journalism

–  The Boston Globe is starting a new program allowing individuals to ask the paper to remove their name or update a story in which they were named online, “meant to address the lasting impact that stories about past embarrassments, mistakes, or minor crimes, forever online and searchable, can have on a person’s life.”

–  Both Seventeen Magazine and The Daily Express were duped by someone impersonating actress Lili Reinhart and her publicist in interviews. (A reminder that when you’re not completely sure, Turn Video On.)

–  “With the pandemic, protests, and politics, it’s more important than ever to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your backyard.” Axios is launching a series of hyper-local daily newsletters: Here are the hubs for Minneapolis-St. Paul and Tampa Bay, with Des Moines, Charlotte and Denver coming soon.

–  From investigative business journalist to NFL analyst, ESPN’s Mina Kimes spoke to GQ about her career path from writing less to talking more.