WASHINGTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The White House announced on Tuesday a significant change in how media organizations will participate in the presidential press pool. This move shifts control from a longstanding group of journalists to the presidential administration itself.
According to Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump's spokeswoman, while traditional media organizations will still have access, the administration plans to alter the pool's composition. The press pool system traditionally allows selected television, radio, wire, print, and photojournalists to cover events in restricted spaces like the Oval Office, sharing their coverage with the broader media audience.
This decision comes on the heels of the Trump administration barring the Associated Press from the pool for not adopting the term "Gulf of America" instead of the Gulf of Mexico, as dictated by President Trump. The AP’s refusal to update its stylebook to reflect this change led to their exclusion.
For decades, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has managed the press pool, ensuring fairness and professional standards. However, according to Leavitt, the White House press team will now decide the pool's composition, a role previously held by the WHCA.
The WHCA has expressed concerns that this move undermines the independence of the free press in the United States. WHCA President Eugene Daniels emphasized that government should not select the journalists who cover it, maintaining that leaders in a free country should not choose their own press corps.
Leavitt mentioned that the five major cable and broadcast television networks would retain their rotating seats in the pool. Additionally, the White House plans to include streaming services and add new outlets and radio hosts, while continuing to rotate print and radio reporters.
President Trump, when questioned about this change during a meeting in the Oval Office, confidently stated, “We’re going to be now calling the shots.”
In related news, a federal judge recently denied a request by the AP to immediately restore full access to pooled events, including sessions held in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One, where President Trump often engages with reporters.
Sign up here for more updates.
Reporting by Reuters staff; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
