White House Finalizes Plan to Restructure Press Briefing Room Seating

The new seating chart, prioritizing digital outlets and influencers, challenges long-standing traditions managed by the White House Correspondents' Association.

The White House will implement its own seating chart for the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, taking over a role historically managed by the WHCA.
The new arrangement will prioritize digital outlets and influencers based on modern media consumption metrics, reducing the prominence of some legacy media outlets.
This follows the administration's earlier move to take control of press pool selection for events, leading to criticism about press freedom and independence.
The Associated Press has filed a legal challenge to regain access to pooled events after being excluded under the new system.
The WHCA has canceled a planned comedic performance at its annual dinner, emphasizing journalistic integrity and independence in response to these developments.