Checking In on the White House Press Briefing

White House reporters are reportedly a little freaked out at the thought of having to share space in the press briefing room with new media stars. (The Hill)

What’s going on: President-elect Trump is thinking of shaking up the briefing room by replacing journalists from the major networks and news outlets with podcasters and social media influencers.

One Trump official told Politico last week: “I could very well see a press briefing room where Maggie Haberman sits next to Joe Rogan.”

Who has typically filled the front row: Reporters from NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox (the major networks), plus journalists from the Associated Press, CNN and Reuters.

The reaction: Reporters covering the White House aren’t thrilled, with one journalist telling The Hill it “would be a total mess.”

• “I would expect people would probably boycott the briefings, though that would put certain outlets in a tough spot deciding if they want to go along with what the Trump people are trying to pull,” the reporter added.

The trend: The success of podcasters and other new media upstarts stands in stark contrast to the traditional newsroom, which has declined in audience and employee size.

• 54% of Americans say they get their news from social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey from September.

Bubba’s Two Cents

To be blunt, the White House press briefing has become a charade. In general, the reporters often ask dopey questions, gotcha questions, or toss softballs, all with the goal of producing clickbait or soundbites. In response the press secretary often deflects, spins, or just plain lies. I’m all for the supporting a longstanding tradition that holds powerful to account, and I’m not supportive of adding in podcasters (or the like) that lack credentials to prod the administration about policy, but to suggest the status quo is just fine is not reading the room very well, and change doesn’t seem like a bad thing.