Is Joe Biden biting the media hands that support him?
Or is he only biting the hands of small, conservative news reporters?
The Biden administration has announced a new policy starting Monday to charge journalists $170 to take a covid-19 test every time they enter the grounds.
White House reporters are not happy about it.
The Washington Post reported that the administration is getting pushback from media outlets large and small.
They are upset about being asked to pay the government tens of thousands of dollars a year for the privilege of doing their jobs.
But the administration says the tests are too expensive for the White House to pay.
White House officials contend test costs for nearly a year has strained their budget. 
They want to shift the burden to the media.
No test, no entry to the White House.

SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce CEO Frank Knapp, Jr., who advocates for small businesses in Washington and the SC Statehouse, says he bets this plan is rescinded.

"The daily briefings could be moved to the larger auditorium across the street in the Eisenhower building, giving plenty of space for social distancing and require masks." 

Tim Murtaugh, Donald Trump's 2020 campaign communications director, told BlazeMedia, "A small news outlet with 1 White House reporter, would pay:
• $170/day
• $850/week
• $40,800/year
“That's a lot for the privilege of covering Biden. Only bigger outlets could swing it."

Some on Twitter expressed hope that smaller, conservative outlets might be priced out of attending press briefings.
Max Tani of the liberal Daily Beast tweeted, "I think part of 'bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room' is not making it prohibitively expensive for smaller outlets with tight budgets to go to the White House."
Mississippi Free Press reporter Ashton Pittman wrote, "It's GREAT that the president doesn't call journalists 'fake news' or 'the enemy of the people' ... but trying to make journalists pay $170 per visit to the White House? This is madness."
"We need transparency, not admission fes."