Biden’s text-based announcement leaves networks searching for visuals

With President Joe Biden announcing he would exit the 2024 race to return to the White House via text-based social media posts, TV networks were left digging for visuals to include in their coverage.

Biden news shakes up Sunday schedules

Announcing the decision via social media is perhaps a sign of the times — but it’s likely that most media thought the news might come in the form of a national TV address, which would have given them video and soundbites to pull from. 

The post almost immediately started to go viral as soon as it went live on social media — and many anchors resorted to reading the content of the text live off the post itself.

Networks also did not have graphics ready — even simple fullscreens with the text of the message — immediately either. 

There are no shortages of past visuals of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, of course, so these were common choices. Many displayed still images of Biden and Harris, often running in loops and using the “Ken Burns” effect.

Most networks ended up using passages from the statement in pull quote style to showcase the news either via fullscreens or video wall graphics shown “video on video” style with floating “walk and wander” camera shots.

Of course, networks also brought in pundits and lawmakers to offer up their comments on the decision, but talking heads don’t always make for the most stellar visuals, so loops of various imagery would often appear over or next to these guests.

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All told, outside of anchor and guest shots, a very large percentage of the networks’ evening newscasts and primetime specials July 21, 2024, were featured screens filled with archive stills and video of Biden and Harris. Other common scenes were images of signage for the upcoming Democratic National Convention. 

Some networks did notably run profile-style pieces of both Biden and Harris’ life and careers that were packed with even more archival footage, which were likely at least partially culled from the prepared packages networks keep on hand for high profile people in the event of their deaths. 

The shortage of visuals continued into Monday, July 22, 2024, largely due to a lack of public appearances.

Biden is currently at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, beach home while also recovering from “mild” symptoms of COVID-19.

He did not have any public events scheduled for July 22, only an out-of-town press pool call at noon eastern. Biden’s last public event was July 16, 2024, at an NAACP convention in Las Vegas. He tested positive for COVID-19 while in Nevada and his subsequent planned events there were canceled as he returned to Rehoboth Beach.

Rehoboth Beach landmarks have become a common sight behind reporters, many of whom are traveling with the president. Common sites include a city water town emblazoned with the beachside community’s name.