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The potential for a shakeup left some among the petty press warning of a “boycott” should their ivory towers be toppled with expanded credentialing.

Like the “expert class” and the tenure-protected squatters within the halls of academia, a consensus through shunning differing opinions had ingrained hubris on qualifications. With the foundation of corporate media still rocked from a demonstrated lack of sway over voters for the 2024 election, talk of President-elect Donald Trump allowing podcasters and other alternative media producers into the White House press briefing had some wanting to take the ball, which had never been theirs, and go home.

“I’m sure the association is looking at all of its options, as are individual outlets — at least the smart ones — if and when the Trump administration disrupts the day-to-day logistics of covering the White House,” one reporter told The Hill at the suggestion of press passes being distributed beyond legacy media organizations.

“It would be a total mess,” remarked another. “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.”

As had been previously covered, the president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., suggested “independent journalists” be added to the mix in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, an idea that had some hoping to see commentators like Megyn Kelly and Joe Rogan represented at the White House.

Notably, while the White House decides who receives credentials, it is up to the White House Correspondents’ Association to assign the 49 available seats that typically find ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, and Reuters presiding in the front row as their questions are prioritized.

Further chiding the potential for alternative media gaining prominent representation at briefings the initial reporter remarked, “What they may discover, though, is friendly coverage quickly can turn into, ‘Why aren’t you keeping your promises?’ coverage.”

Similarly, Julie Mason, former White House correspondent for the Houston Chronicle and the Washington Examiner, told the outlet, “If they think they’re going to end White House reporting by throwing everyone out or clearing out the first three rows, good luck because that’s not how that works.”

“They would really beclown themselves if they put three rows of Gateway Pundit clones in the briefing room. This administration wants to be taken seriously…by doing this you make a joke of the briefing,” she added without any decision being announced. “It just makes the whole thing look ridiculous.”

During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, White House press secretary designee Karoline Leavitt addressed potential mistreatment from reporters when she said, “We hope there will be decorum, certainly, and we will try to instill that. But we’re not shy of the hostile media.”

As to mixing up the occupancy of the briefing room, she said, “We are looking at those options. And, ultimately, it’s about serving the American people and getting President Trump’s message across to them.”

The White House famously pulled the credentials of CNN’s then-chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta in 2018 over his behavior toward then-President Trump.

Kevin Haggerty
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