The White House Correspondents Association has adopted a new seating chart for the briefing room that will go into effect next week.
And there are some newcomers. Newsmax, who’s chief Christopher Ruddy is a friend of Pres. Trump, and One America News Network (OAN) have been given seats by the WHCA.
OAN, which recently tried to woo Bill O’Reilly to the right-leaning network, will share its seat with the BBC. Newsmax gets its own seat in the 6th row, center. Their correspondent John Gizzi has been at most briefings, in that seat, and called on frequently. The Daily Mail also now has a permanent seat.
“The board considered multiple criteria during this decision-making process, including regular briefing attendance and commitment to the White House beat,” said WHCA President Jeff Mason in an email to members. “We also looked at news outlets’ audiences, both in terms of reach and in terms of preserving (or in some cases adding) diversity in the briefing room. We took stock of the changing landscape of our industry. Weighing these and other factors, we worked through what is always a difficult process affecting news outlets, colleagues and friends.”
The front row, which includes broadcast networks and wire services, remains the same.
