The Northern Ireland Secretary has been criticized by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for showing “apparent contempt” by refusing to take their questions.
Karen Bradley did not field any queries after she gave a minute-long update on the political talks on Thursday.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney spoke for 10 minutes and answered six questions.
Ciaran O Maolain, a member of the NUJ’s national executive and the secretary of the union’s Belfast branch, told the BBC: “We all want to see progress in politics and that requires informed debate, transparency and honesty on all sides.
“For a Government minister to treat journalists with apparent contempt – refusing to take a single question when so many important issues are being discussed – does nothing to advance the political process.”
Mrs Bradley has been attempting to engineer the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont.
During her spell in the Northern Ireland Office she has answered journalists’ queries repeatedly on a range of subjects.
But she has also been criticized over a number of her comments, including the suggestion in the British Parliament earlier this year that killings by British soldiers during the Troubles were not crimes.
She later apologized.
The Irish government has been among those expressing confidence in her ability as minister.
The power-sharing institutions have been in deep freeze for around two-and-a-half years following a row between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the botched green energy scheme.