Donald Trump has announced plans to allow members of the alternative media to join the White House Press Corps in Washington.
In a bold move, Trump’s Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, said that the traditional system needed to be shaken up and that it was time independent journalists and researchers had a chance to ask the President questions – a privilege normally reserved for the mainstream media.
Fox News reports:
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Spicer told Fox News’ “Media Buzz” hours earlier that the potential change is in response to the “off the chart” demand to cover Trump.
To be sure, the wealthy businessman and first-time candidate’s unexpected White House victory is among the most compelling stories in U.S. political history.
But Trump’s repeated arguments that much of the mainstream media is dishonest and unfair to him has led to concerns that he’ll deny reporters the traditional levels of White House access.
“I think sometimes change is scary,” Spicer told Fox News. “But change can be good, and good for the better.”
He said thousands of reporters have sought White House credentials for a briefing room that has space for just 49 people.
“Let’s try it for the first few weeks, maybe we see what the demand is, see what the upsides are,” Spicer continued. “The idea that you can involve more people, be more transparent and have more accessibility should be seen as a welcome change.”
Spicer earlier told Esquire magazine that another possibility was moving the press corps to the White House Conference Center, near Lafayette Square.
