WASHINGTON—In a major break from established tradition, the White House will now decide which reporters get the coveted seats in the briefing room, not the White House Correspondents’ Association, Axios reported Sunday.
A senior White House official told Axios that the communications staff have formalized a plan for “fundamental restructuring of the briefing room, based on metrics more reflective of how media is consumed today.” The White House’s new layout will include reporters from digital outlets, print outlets, TV, and more. The digital group includes “new media” outlets, according to Axios, like The Daily Wire, Axios itself, Semafor, and influencers.
“The goal isn’t merely favorable coverage,” the White House official told Axios. “It’s truly an honest look at consumption [of the outlets’ coverage]. Influencers are important but it’s tough because they aren’t [equipped to provide] consistent coverage. So the ability to cover the White House is part of the metrics.”
The legacy outlets who have enjoyed, until now, prominent visibility and easy access to the White House press secretary, should expect less prominence, Axios reported.
“We want to balance disruption with responsibility,” the official told the publication.
It’s a move that many reporters in the briefing room had been hoping for since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration, as journalists crowded into the small space and fought for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s attention. Very few reporters from right-leaning outlets currently have a seat in the room, with the exception of Fox News, The Daily Caller, and the New York Post.
Reporters who do not have a seat stand in the aisles on the left and right sides of the room, some arriving several hours early to have a better location during the briefing. Aisle standing comes with its own perils — less considerate reporters who arrive late sometimes attempt to stand in front of journalists who arrived early. Shorter reporters may be blocked by taller ones. Leavitt might not be able to see standing reporters if they aren’t in the very front of the room.
Seating in the briefing room was formerly controlled by the White House Correspondents’ Association, otherwise known as the WHCA. The WHCA also decided which reporters had access to “pool rotations” — the group of journalists who have the most intimate access to the president, going to the Oval Office and other privileged spaces to cover him.
When the White House announced in February that it would take over pool rotations, White House Correspondents’ Association president Eugene Daniels said that the move “tears at the independence of a free press in the United States” and “suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president.”
Daniels did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
In January, Leavitt announced that the White House would be making room for “new media” journalists in the press room, allowing nontraditional, news-related content producers to directly question the press secretary and other administration officials.
“We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House,” she said at the time.
“The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room, because according to recent polling from Gallup, Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen to a record low,” Leavitt said.
“Millions of Americans, especially young people, have turned from traditional television outlets and newspapers to consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent outlets,” she continued. “It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.”
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[[{“value”:”
WASHINGTON—In a major break from established tradition, the White House will now decide which reporters get the coveted seats in the briefing room, not the White House Correspondents’ Association, Axios reported Sunday.
A senior White House official told Axios that the communications staff have formalized a plan for “fundamental restructuring of the briefing room, based on metrics more reflective of how media is consumed today.” The White House’s new layout will include reporters from digital outlets, print outlets, TV, and more. The digital group includes “new media” outlets, according to Axios, like The Daily Wire, Axios itself, Semafor, and influencers.
“The goal isn’t merely favorable coverage,” the White House official told Axios. “It’s truly an honest look at consumption [of the outlets’ coverage]. Influencers are important but it’s tough because they aren’t [equipped to provide] consistent coverage. So the ability to cover the White House is part of the metrics.”
The legacy outlets who have enjoyed, until now, prominent visibility and easy access to the White House press secretary, should expect less prominence, Axios reported.
“We want to balance disruption with responsibility,” the official told the publication.
It’s a move that many reporters in the briefing room had been hoping for since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration, as journalists crowded into the small space and fought for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s attention. Very few reporters from right-leaning outlets currently have a seat in the room, with the exception of Fox News, The Daily Caller, and the New York Post.
Reporters who do not have a seat stand in the aisles on the left and right sides of the room, some arriving several hours early to have a better location during the briefing. Aisle standing comes with its own perils — less considerate reporters who arrive late sometimes attempt to stand in front of journalists who arrived early. Shorter reporters may be blocked by taller ones. Leavitt might not be able to see standing reporters if they aren’t in the very front of the room.
Seating in the briefing room was formerly controlled by the White House Correspondents’ Association, otherwise known as the WHCA. The WHCA also decided which reporters had access to “pool rotations” — the group of journalists who have the most intimate access to the president, going to the Oval Office and other privileged spaces to cover him.
When the White House announced in February that it would take over pool rotations, White House Correspondents’ Association president Eugene Daniels said that the move “tears at the independence of a free press in the United States” and “suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president.”
Daniels did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
In January, Leavitt announced that the White House would be making room for “new media” journalists in the press room, allowing nontraditional, news-related content producers to directly question the press secretary and other administration officials.
“We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House,” she said at the time.
“The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room, because according to recent polling from Gallup, Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen to a record low,” Leavitt said.
“Millions of Americans, especially young people, have turned from traditional television outlets and newspapers to consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent outlets,” she continued. “It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.”
“}]]
