White House Says It Will Now Determine Who Will Participate In Press Pool

deadline.com:

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the White House would now determine which outlets will be members of the press pool, the smaller group of journalists who are allowed in to events such as Oval Office appearances and Mar-a-Lago events.

For years, the White House Correspondents’ Association has handled the logistics of the press pool, including determining which outlets will be assigned for duty and when they will participate.

The set up designed to prevent an administration from retaliating against journalists whose coverage they disfavor. At the briefing, Leavitt said that the change would open up the pool to a greater number of news outlets. “Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join, but we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets who have never been allowed to share in this awesome responsibility,” she said.

She said that they will continue the rotation among the five major television networks “to ensure the president’s remarks are heard far and wide around this world.” The Associated Press sued Leavitt and other White House officials last week after it was prohibited from participating in the pool, as well as other White House and presidential events.