Joe Biden is prioritizing engagement with local press in early primary states over interviews with national outlets, a media strategy sowing doubts about his electability against President Trump — his key selling point in the race for the Democratic nomination.

The choice to focus on local over national interviews, critics and even some supporters say, was required to protect the candidate from verbal gaffes that have been a hallmark of his political career. The problem for Biden, insiders say, is that avoiding the hard-hitting national press and the tough issues they raise suggests weakness and fosters questions about his ability to handle Trump in a general election.

“I don’t think they can afford to participate in a modified Rose Garden strategy where they try and stay above the fray,” said Jim Manley, a veteran Democratic communications operative. “Democrats are looking for who’s best positioned to take on the president, and running away from debates isn’t going to work.”

Since launching his 2020 bid in late April, Biden has submitted to 42 one-on-one interviews, nearly 33 of which have been granted to reporters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. The former vice president has sat for questions with national press just nine times. Biden officials confirmed the campaign views local media as the best way to reach Democratic primary voters.

[Related: 'He keeps saying stupid stuff': Iowa Democrats concerned about Biden's gaffes]

If Biden fails to define himself nationally, Trump could do it for him. The president is an asymmetrical campaigner adept at using social media to drive coverage of his opponents, and there are worries that Biden, 76, who has a penchant for misspeaking and at times has appeared old, is ill-equipped for the chaos.

Biden advisers emphasize that local news, especially in targeted rural communities in some of the early states, can be the most effective way to reach voters. And unlike most of the crowded Democratic field, Biden does not need the press to grow name identification or initial support. After two terms under Barack Obama, Democrats know Biden and have an appreciation for him.

Another question is whether Biden is interacting sufficiently with the press overall to deliver his message and satisfy Democratic voters that he’s ready to tackle Trump. Many of his competitors are employing a more aggressive media strategy. For instance, Elizabeth Warren, a liberal favorite on Biden’s heels, has submitted to 203 interviews and 98 media availabilities since entering the race on Dec. 31.

Jeff Link, a top Democratic operative in Iowa, said the longtime former senator from Delaware is engaging with the media enough in his state to get the job done. Through the first 16 weeks of his campaign, Biden has given 16 of his 42 media interviews to Iowa reporters. He is building a massive voter turnout operation in the state, considered crucial to his nomination prospects.

“They’ve been present, which is kind of the test you want to meet,” Link said. “When you’re a front-runner, you have more demands on your time and schedule than if you’re at the back of the pack. They’ve done a good job of balancing.”

In Nevada, another caucus state and host of the fourth nominating contest, Biden has been a bit less present, according to veteran journalist Jon Ralston, editor of the Nevada Independent, which has covered multiple presidential campaigns in the state. Biden has given four interviews to Nevada reporters, including one to Ralston’s publication.

“He hasn’t been inaccessible,” Ralston said. “But it seems to be a front-runner strategy to me.”

The Biden campaign likes to highlight that it permits the national press to cover its fundraisers via pooled coverage. But that may prove a point about his problems with national coverage. The former vice president has created some of the biggest flaps for his campaign via remarks uttered in these settings.

Even as some Democrats have hammered him for being too media-averse, undermining his electability argument, some allies and political analysts believe that his free-flowing conversations with reporters should be scaled back, warning that his mouth is bound to get him into an equal amount of trouble.

“Mr. Biden, don’t do media interviews,” Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University, recommended. “Don’t meet with people informally, or, if you do, don’t talk; just kiss some babies and eat deep fried Iowa food.”