Approximately 432 journalists have been denied access to the White House in the last three months, according to a new article from Politico’s West Wing Playbook. This signifies a major decline in media presence of roughly 31%.
The numbers were first revealed last Wednesday, showing that Simon Ateba, the White House correspondent for Today News Africa, has lost his unrestricted access known as a “hard pass.” In addition to Ateba, over 441 other reporters will no longer be able to attend White House press briefings unless they obtain a “temporary day pass,” as reported by the Daily Signal.
The number of journalists who are eligible for a White House hard pass has recently been limited by the White House. The White House grounds and press conferences are more accessible to journalists with these passes.
Regarding access for journalists to the White House, new regulations have been put into place. While journalists will still have access, their permits will now be evaluated every day. Additionally, the Secret Service may apply additional scrutiny.
“Within the past three months, the number of hard pass holders dropped from 1,417 to 975, with those approved reflecting a mix of renewals and new applications,” Politico reported.
For those who have hard passes, new rules have been put in place. Applicants must reside in Washington, D.C., hold a full-time position with a news organization, regularly cover and attend events at the White House, and submit to a rigorous Secret Service investigation. Additionally, applicants need to get press accreditation from a U.S. news gallery. Supreme Court, U.S. House of Representatives, or Senate.
Additionally, the Biden administration has tightened its rules for dealing with journalists and given the press team authority to bar them from briefings. An instance of this happened with journalist Simon Ateba, who is well-known for his tense confrontations with Karine Jean-Pierre. If Ateba continued to interrupt briefings, he was warned that he might be expelled.
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