The White House press office has received an overwhelming number of requests from individuals interested in occupying a new briefing room seat designated for “new media.” This flood of requests followed the announcement by press secretary Karoline Leavitt that a new 50th seat was being added for journalists who do not have a permanent assignment to one of the 49 traditional media seats assigned by the White House Correspondents’ Association. The press office has received 7,400 requests for this new seat and is currently sorting through them to determine how to select individuals to fill it.
The new media seat will be filled on a rotating basis by outlets and individuals who do not have a permanent assignment to one of the traditional media seats. It is located to the right of the press secretary’s lectern and has historically been occupied by a member of the press office’s staff. The first person to occupy this seat was Axios executive editor Mike Allen, followed by Breitbart journalist Matt Boyle. Social media figures with a significant following are also expected to fill this seat, and applicants are required to provide a link to their primary social media account on a White House website form.
Rumors had circulated that President Trump’s team would redo the seating chart in the briefing room and end deference to the Correspondents’ Association. However, the decision was made to add a new seat to avoid a potential fight with journalists that could have detracted from Trump’s legislative agenda and executive orders. Leavitt framed the addition of the new seat as a way to boost representation in the briefing room and highlighted the importance of sharing President Trump’s message with a wider range of media outlets, including podcasts, blogs, and social media.
Leavitt emphasized that the Trump White House aims to speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just those seated in the traditional media seats. She also announced that the White House would work to restore the press passes of 440 journalists whose passes were revoked by the previous administration. The new press team has not yet revealed the fate of the Biden-era prescreening process that barred major news outlets, including The Post, from large events under the previous administration. This prescreening process, initially implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was seen as a way to shape the questions posed to President Biden and led to protests from the press corps.
Overall, the addition of the new media seat in the White House briefing room reflects a recognition of the changing media landscape and the importance of reaching a broader audience through various platforms. The decision to add this seat aims to increase representation and provide access to a wider range of journalists and influencers, including those from social media. By embracing a diverse range of media outlets and adapting to the evolving media landscape, the Trump administration hopes to effectively communicate its message to the American people.
