"Commitment to Opening Up to Media with Many Subscribers and Followers"
Donald Trump Jr., son of President-elect Donald Trump, revealed that he discussed plans to open the White House press seats to influencers and podcasters while excluding some mainstream media outlets.
According to political media outlet The Hill on the 27th (local time), Trump Jr. stated on his podcast that he discussed with his father the idea of opening the White House press room to more independent journalists and social media (SNS) influencers. This was in response to a question about whether it might be necessary to reassign designated press seats in the White House press room and reclaim some seats from certain media outlets.
Trump Jr. then rhetorically asked, "Is there any reason not to open it to media with more subscribers and followers?" He cited The New York Times as an example, claiming it has opposed everything Trump stands for and has functioned as a marketing agency for the Democratic Party.
There are 49 press seats in the White House. According to the seating chart most recently approved by the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) in December 2021, mainstream media such as NBC News, Fox News, CBS News, AP News, ABC News, Reuters, and CNN occupy the front rows.
Because press seat assignments are a sensitive issue, since the Reagan administration the White House has entrusted this responsibility to the press corps. However, President-elect Trump has not been concerned about this. According to a Washington Post (WP) report, during his tenure leading up to the 2020 election, Trump ignored the WHCA and invited media outlets favorable to him into the briefing room, but caused controversy by seating reporters who asked uncomfortable questions in the back rows.
When President-elect Trump is inaugurated on January 20 next year, the press seats in the White House briefing room will be reassigned. There is speculation that he will exclude mainstream media outlets that have criticized him and prioritize podcasters and influencers. Throughout his campaign, Trump has mocked mainstream media and broadcasters that reported critically on him as "fake news," and he has mainly given interviews to podcasters popular among his supporters.
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