Podcaster debut marks new era for White House press room

by Anuj CHOPRA

Are the mainstream media "out of touch with Americans?"

The opening question at a White House briefing Friday went to a political podcaster, the first outlet to occupy the coveted "new media" seat -- and he took a potshot at the established press institutions long reviled by Donald Trump.

The White House has been flooded with more than 10,000 applications for the seat, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, after unveiling a new policy that allows podcasters, TikTokers and other content creators to apply for press credentials on a rotation basis.

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"We might have to make this room a little bit bigger," Leavitt said at the briefing, granting the first question to Ruthless Podcast, which she described as one of the most influential podcasts in the United States.

Ruthless Podcast host John Ashbrook -- who occupied a seat at the front of the cramped briefing room -- wasted no time, accusing traditional media of going after the Trump administration for deporting illegal immigrants.

"Do you think they are out of touch with Americans demanding action on our border crisis?" Ashbrook asked in a deadpan tone.

Leavitt was quick to reply: "The media certainly is out of touch."

This marks a new normal for press briefings at the White House, long the preserve of mainstream outlets that have grappled in recent years with declining public trust while podcasters gain a huge following.

Trump has repeatedly criticized traditional media as the "enemy of the people."

During the election campaign last year, Trump sidestepped some major television networks, opting instead to speak to right-wing podcasters and internet personalities who appeared to promote his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) political slogan.

- 'Sycophants' -

Leavitt, who at 27 is the youngest White House press secretary, has vowed to hold reporters accountable for what she said were "lies" about Trump.

She said applications for the seat poured in from across the country, without saying how they will be selected or who its next occupant will be.

In recent days, prominent MAGA supporters, including many accused of peddling conspiracy theories, have expressed interest online in applying for White House press credentials.

In a rapidly evolving information ecosystem, Americans continue to register "record-low trust" in the mass media, a Gallup poll said last October.

Media pundits say Americans, especially young people, have turned from traditional newspapers and television networks to consume their news from social media, podcasts and blogs.

About one in five Americans -– many of them under 30 -- say they regularly get news from influencers on social media, according to a study last November by the Pew Research Center.

In the face of this changing dynamic, no one should object to opening up the White House briefing room to nontraditional outlets, media writer Tom Jones wrote for the nonprofit media institute Poynter.

"The caveat, however is if the White House new spots are given to those who are merely Trump and MAGA sycophants who call themselves media just because they carry a microphone or a laptop," Jones wrote.

"If that's the case, the idea of a 'new media' seat is counterproductive. In the end, these are press conferences, not pep rallies."