Trump may invite bloggers and talk show hosts to press briefings

‘More transparent’ briefings may be moved from West Wing, says press secretary Spicer

Talk radio hosts and bloggers could be invited to official White House press briefings once the Trump administration takes office, under a highly irregular proposal being floated that may also remove briefings from the West Wing.

Mr Trump's pick for White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said Sunday that due to "off the chart" interest in the new administration, the president-elect was considering moving briefings from the James S Brady press briefing room, which has been used by presidents to address the media since 1970, to a venue with a greater capacity.

A report published by Esquire magazine on Saturday indicated the venue could be inside the Old Executive Office Building, just west of the White House.

“I know change is difficult sometimes,” Mr Spicer told Fox News. “But sometimes change can actually be better.”

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Mr Spicer argued the proposal would mean “you can involve more people, be more transparent, have more accessibility”. He suggested that this would mean outlets that are not traditionally part of the White House press corps would be able to ask questions during presidential press briefings.

“There’s a lot of talk radio and bloggers and people that can’t fit in right now and maybe don’t have a permanency,” Mr Spicer said, “because they’re not part of the Washington elite media, but to allow them an opportunity to ask the press secretary or the president a question is a positive thing. It’s more democratic.”

Hostile rebuke

About 200 journalists make up the White House press corps. The Brady press briefing room holds 49 seats for major media organisations, which are granted space by the White House Correspondent Association (WHCA).

It remains unclear how the proposal would be implemented, but it is likely to be interpreted as a hostile rebuke to conventional media outlets around the country.

Jeff Mason, the WHCA president and Reuters White House correspondent, said in a statement he would meet with Mr Spicer on Sunday to learn more.

“The WHCA will fight to keep the briefing room and West Wing access to senior administration officials open,” Mr Mason said in a statement. “We object strenuously to any move that would shield the president and his advisers from the scrutiny of an on-site White House press corps.”

During a chaotic press conference at Trump Tower on Wednesday, the first the businessman has held since July 2016, hundreds of journalists crammed into a small pen as Mr Trump frequently lambasted certain media organisations and occasionally individual reporters.

Unsubstantiated dossier

Mr Trump was incensed by reports on a leaked and unsubstantiated dossier, which alleged frequent contacts between his campaign team and Russian authorities, and suggested the Kremlin held compromising material that could be used to blackmail Mr Trump.

Trump was also asked by a reporter at Breitbart News what his views were on media ethics and “fake news” were, to which he replied: “Some of the media outlets that I deal with are fake news more so than anybody. I could name them, but I won’t bother. You have a few sitting right in front of us.

“They’re very, very dishonest people, but I think it’s just something we’re going to have to live with. I guess the advantage I have is that I can speak back.”

According to the Associated Press, Breitbart News, branded by critics as a racist, far-right news site, was the only media organisation to have a reserved seat in the front row for the conference. Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's incoming chief strategist and senior counsellor, previously served as the site's executive chairman.

– (Guardian service)