The Trump Administration may evict the press from the White House
White House Correspondents' Association president Jeff Mason released a statement saying that he met with incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer to talk about issues of access, where briefings will be held and how Trump will treat reporters.
“We discussed his interest in increasing participation in White House briefings when President-elect Donald Trump takes office,” Mason said in his statement. “That has sparked his team to consider moving daily briefings out of the White House’s James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to a larger facility on the White House complex.”
Read the full statement below:
"On behalf of the White House Correspondents’ Association, I met with incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer today. We had a constructive, nearly 2-hour meeting. We discussed his interest in increasing participation in White House briefings when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. That has sparked his team to consider moving daily briefings out of the White House’s James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to a larger facility on the White House complex.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has always advocated for increasing access and transparency for the benefit of all news outlets and the public. I emphasized the importance of the White House press briefing room and noted that it is open to all journalists who seek access now. I made clear that the WHCA would view it as unacceptable if the incoming administration sought to move White House reporters out of the press work space behind the press briefing room. Access in the West Wing to senior administration officials, including the press secretary, is critical to transparency and to journalists’ ability to do their jobs.
Sean agreed to discuss any additional changes that the incoming administration considers with the WHCA ahead of time.
Sean expressed concern that journalists adhere to a high level of decorum at press briefings and press conferences. I made clear that the WHCA would object, always, to a reporter being thrown out of a briefing or press conference.
The WHCA looks forward to having a constructive relationship with the president-elect’s press team and to standing up for the rights of a free press to report vigorously on the new administration."
–Jeff Mason, WHCA president
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