On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015

Reince Priebus signals changes ahead for White House press corps

Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus suggested that major changes are coming to the White House press corps.

Speaking to radio host Hugh Hewitt, Priebus said “many things have to change” in the White House’s relationship and daily traditions with the media, including the daily briefing with the White House press secretary and the seating chart.

“I think that it’s important that we look at all of those traditions that are great, but quite frankly, as you know, don’t really make news and they're just sort of mundane, boring episodes,” Priebus said.

“The point of all of this conversation is that the traditions, while some of them are great, I think it’s time to revisit a lot of these things that have been done in the White House, and I can assure you that change is going to happen, even on things that might seem boring, like this topic, but also change as far as how we’re going to approach tax reform, the American worker, how we protect them and business all at the same time while skyrocketing our economy,” Priebus told Hewitt.

Priebus said the White House team is currently discussing how to change things, including where the press sits in the White House briefing room. Though Priebus suggested that assigned seats in the front row started with President Barack Obama’s administration, the tradition of assigned seats at least in the first couple rows began in Ronald Reagan’s administration. Then-deputy press secretary Larry Speakes assigned the front row to the six national news wire services and television networks, with selected newspapers getting the second row. In President George W. Bush's administration the room was renovated and the White House Correspondents' Association started assigned the seating.

In recent decades, the briefing room and media work desks have been allocated by the WHCA based on several factors, including tenure, who actually shows up to the briefings, and the audience of the publication (hence, the reason that the TV networks and wire services have the front row). If an organization doesn't show up to the briefings every day, they're less likely to keep their seat. It is ultimately the White House, though, that determines who gets a White House press credential.

Current White House press secretary Josh Earnest seemed to take a shot at Priebus’ assertion that the Obama administration was the first to assign seats.

“We do not [have control over the seating]. It certainly predates President Obama’s presence in the White House,” Earnest said Wednesday at the daily briefing. “The White House press corps has worked among yourselves to organize the seating arrangements in this room, and I certainly would recommend to the incoming administration that they collect and familiarize themselves with some basic facts as they consider what sort of policies to implement moving forward.”

WHCA president Jeff Mason said in a statement that they’ve noted Priebus’ comments “with concern.”

“There was a notable factual inaccuracy in Mr. Priebus’ remarks: News organizations have had assigned seats in the briefing room since those seats were installed in 1981,” Mason said. “That was not an Obama-era innovation as Mr. Priebus suggested. The WHCA assumed responsibility for assigning the seats in the briefing room over the last two decades at the request of both Republican and Democratic administrations, who were mindful of the potential appearance of playing favorites if they assigned the seats themselves. The WHCA looks forward to meeting with the incoming administration to address questions and concerns on both sides about exactly this sort of issue.”

This post has been updated with comments from Earnest and Mason.