Biden using Apple News to stay on top of current global events & media perception

President-elect Joe Biden

A change of world leader typically means there will be an alteration in working practices, as well as suppliers and sources for specific tasks. In a column about Biden's media consumption, it seems that Apple News is a key media aggregator for the President-elect's media consumption.

In a reversal of form for what is known to be mostly television news consumption in the White House, Biden is said to be reading what CNN calls "the classics" for newspapers and major outlets. "He relies on things like the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal. He reads some of The Economist and The New Yorker," advises contributor Evan Onos.

While a "lot of it" is printed, some of the news is being consumed digitally. "He also relies on Apple News to help him get headlines from other reputable media sources," Onos continued, adding that Biden "pays a lot of attention to the columnists."

The use of Apple News and traditional media outlets is a contrast to the style of media monitoring undertaken by President Donald Trump, who reportedly relies on televised reporting alongside briefings.

While Apple News is reportedly being used at present, it is unclear if it will continue to be a tool used by Biden after the inauguration.

Due to the typically increased levels of security surrounding the role, hardware and software has to be vetted before it can be used by the President. As advised by former President Barack Obama in 2013, the Secret Service didn't allow him to use an iPhone for security reasons, forcing him instead to use a 2007 BlackBerry that was certified for use.

However, President Trump used at least two White House-issued iPhones during his tenure, with one a call-capable model with the camera and microphone enabled, the other used just for tweeting and news app usage but being locked down in other ways.