Joe Lockhart is a CNN political analyst. He was the White House press secretary from 1998-2000 in President Bill Clinton's administration. He co-hosts the podcast "Words Matter." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN.

(CNN) After Thursday's disinfectant fiasco some are speculating we've seen the last of the freewheeling White House press briefings. But given what we've seen over the last three years, I expect President Donald Trump will be back, and he'll be back soon, as staying out of the limelight is just not in his nature. To prepare for that, here's some advice for reporters to make these briefings more productive and informative.

Joe Lockhart

Now, it's likely that the last person reporters want to take advice from is a former White House press secretary. Although I believe there was some mutual respect when I held the role during the Clinton administration, I doubt reporters went to the White House press office looking for advice on how to do their jobs.

But these are extraordinary times with the president holding court for two hours from the briefing room podium. And I don't think it's a secret that reporters, along with many other Americans, are frustrated with the way the president handles himself.

So, maybe, just maybe, as someone who's stood behind that podium and plotted ways to spin the news and avoid the hardest questions, I might be able to provide some insight on how to hold this President more accountable.

Every day, the White House and the press corps struggle to define the narrative and determine what the most important story of the day is. This advice comes from years of anticipating questions and follow-ups, plotting out answers and understanding where the traps are.

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