Trump met with ‘regional press affiliates’ in an off-the-record dinner on Monday night

You might have heard: Trump held off-the-record meetings with network executives in November, as well as an on-the-record meeting with the NYT

But did you know: President Trump met with “regional press affiliates,” including reporters from E.W. Scripps Company, in a private off-the-record dinner on Monday night. “The meeting is comparable to the off-the-record lunch Trump will host Tuesday with major network anchors ahead of his first address to Congress,” Scripps TV station WRTV reports. Tuesday’s meeting is a “continuation of a White House custom,” WRTV explains, as presidents have traditionally met with news anchors prior to their first State of the Union.

+ A Wall Street Journal / NBC News survey found that just over half say they believe media organizations are being “too critical” of Trump’s administration (Wall Street Journal), a finding that Mathew Ingram argues could suggest that coverage of Trump’s administration could be backfiring as the administration attacks news organizations (Fortune); George W. Bush tells Matt Lauer, “I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. That we need the media to hold people like me to account … It’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power, whether it be here or elsewhere” (Politico)

+ Jill Geisler’s tips for news managers on covering Trump: Know the right style of leadership to use for the situation, clearly define your managers’ roles and responsibilities, and expect your habits to be adopted by those you manage (CJR)