On social media, Josh Earnest answers questions about answering questions

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says reporters often ask "hostile, pointed questions" at his daily news briefings in order to provoke a reaction, but that he tries to "keep calm and focus on the substance of the question." That's just one of the tricks of the trade that Earnest divulged while discussing the White House press strategy on the question-answering social media site Quora Friday. And while he didn't acknowledge it directly, answering questions on social media happens to be an integral part of the White House communications strategy, allowing officials to seek a broader audience — and, yes, bypass the White House press corps.