The Trump administration is reportedly planning a new seating chart in the White House’s press briefing room that might result in legacy media outlets losing long-held spots.
On Sunday, Axios reported that the White House will take over the seating chart for the briefing room, a task currently managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association. President Donald Trump’s administration has been critical of the WHCA’s involvement in selecting which outlets can access the president and his Cabinet.
‘We want to balance disruption with responsibility.’
Shortly after taking office, the administration announced that it would open the briefing room to “new media voices,” encouraging independent journalists, podcasters, and social media influencers to apply for a dedicated spot at the front of the room.
The unprecedented move to bypass the WHCA resulted in a flood of thousands of interested applicants.
The Trump administration also previously limited the pool of reporters who may join the president for smaller press events, including those held in the Oval Office and on Air Force One.
The administration’s latest move to reorganize the seating chart of the briefing room further challenges the WHCA’s long-term role.
A senior White House official told Axios that plans have been formalized for a “fundamental restructuring of the briefing room, based on metrics more reflective of how media is consumed today.”
“The goal isn’t merely favorable coverage,” the official stated. “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 new layout will include reporters from television, print, and digital outlets. While corporate media outlets will continue to have access to the briefing room, the shake-up might see them booted from their seats in the front rows.
“We want to balance disruption with responsibility,” the official told Axios.
The official also noted that a WHCA member privately mentioned the possibility of changing bylaws to allow the sitting White House press secretary to serve as the group’s president.
The official called the idea “interesting” but stated that the administration is “skeptical the association’s board could pull it off.”
Neither the White House nor the WHCA responded to a request for comment from the New York Post.
A senior White House official confirmed the plans to implement a new seating chart to CNN.
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