Journalists Plan Sit-In Protest Over WH Press Room Shakeup

The Trump administration’s proposal to take over the seating arrangement within the White House press briefing room has rattled the journalists who cover the president and left them mulling how exactly to push back.

The White House plans to impose its own seating chart for reporters in the briefing room, seizing control of a prerogative long managed by the journalists in the room through the White House Correspondents’ Association, Axios first reported Sunday.

The WHCA’s current system reflects the 20th century media power structure: wire services and broadcast and cable television networks occupy the front row, major newspapers and radio get the second and third rows, and a more fluid collection of news organizations sits further back.

The White House proposal would upend the arrangement in a move White House officials reportedly believe will be a “fundamental restructuring of the briefing room, based on metrics more reflective of how media is consumed today.”

On Sunday, key members of the WHCA, including the organization’s leadership and some White House bureau chiefs, met to discuss a range of potential responses should Trump communications officials decide to dictate where reporters in the room sit.

According to two people familiar with the discussions, among the proposals raised by members was a potential Civil Rights era-style “sit-in” protest, in which members would return to their old seats and refuse to leave them.

On Fox News on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration had tried to “broker a meeting” about the proposed seating changes and said the briefing room “does not belong to elitist journalists here in Washington.”

Asked about a potential protest by members of the WHCA, including a potential sit-in, White House communications director Steven Cheung responded: “Hahahahahahahaha…..…hahahahahahahahaha.”

The move is part of a larger effort by the administration to take control of in-person access to the president and staff when at the White House. The White House has prohibited The Associated Press from covering in-person events over the wire service’s refusal to follow Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Trump communications officials have also invited friendly reporters to cover events at which there is limited press access, allowing Trump to receive more positive questions and even some rhetorical backup during key moments.