( CNN ) -- Press groups , prominent journalists and administration critics have all accused President Barack Obama of failing to live up to his commitment to have the `` most transparent administration in history . '' To some , that pledge is now a punch line . But the commitment endures , newly appointed White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in an interview on CNN 's `` Reliable Sources '' on Sunday . Earnest , who was a deputy press secretary before his promotion in June , cited `` a number of steps that we 've taken to give people greater insight into what 's happening at the White House . '' There is built-in tension in the relationship between the president and the press , Earnest said : `` If there 's ever a day when the White House press corps sits back and says , 'You know , we 're getting all the information that we need from the White House Press Office , ' then everybody in the White House press corps would not be doing their jobs , right ? '' Earnest said he had seen the letter to Obama signed by more than 40 news media organizations , including the Society of Professional Journalists and National Press Foundation , urging the President and his federal agencies to be more transparent -- to `` stop the spin and let the sunshine in . '' But when asked whether the groups had legitimate concerns , he referred back to the omnipresent tension between the two sides . As the new press secretary , Earnest said he has a responsibility to `` try to help the President live up to his commitment to be the most transparent president in history . '' In spite of aggressive prosecutions of whistleblowers and other actions , he said that he thought the administration had lived up to it so far -- `` absolutely '' -- and pointed to the quarterly release of White House visitor records and reporters ' access to presidential fundraisers at private homes . Earnest , 39 , is Obama 's third press secretary , following in the footsteps of Robert Gibbs and Jay Carney . He said he 'd learned a lot from watching his predecessors ' briefings and now tries to `` draw on some of the more effective things that they did '' during his briefings . Earnest described himself as a voracious consumer of media , thanks partly to the White House press clippings service and partly to his iPad . He plugged the Associated Press iPad app , and also ESPN , which he said is the first channel he probably checks when he turns on the television . For work purposes , `` I definitely spend some time on CNN , '' he said , calling it `` a pretty good barometer of what a lot of people -- what a lot of people in this room -- are going to be interested in on a daily basis . '' Online , he was quick to mention Politico as a website that he checks . `` In some ways , they style themselves as the ESPN of politics . '' Earnest said the White House would continue to seek new and nontraditional ways for the President to reach the public , just as past administrations have . `` There 's no question that , at least in my view , that the President is the best advocate for his policies , '' he said . `` He is somebody who has a very clear sense of what his priorities are . And when he can be put in a position where he can communicate those priorities , we 're firing on all cylinders . We 're running at our best . '' He joked about the recent Emmy nomination for Obama 's interview on Zach Galifianakis ' satirical online talk show `` Between Two Ferns '' : `` I think the President would say that it 's an honor just being nominated . '' ( The awards will be presented in August . ) `` We 're always looking for new ideas , '' Earnest said . `` Some of them can be online . But maybe there 's a great print idea out there that we have n't come up with yet . ''
White House press secretary Josh Earnest appears on CNN 's `` Reliable Sources '' Earnest : There is built-in tension in the relationship between a president and the press . The question is, how do you manage that tension?