KEY POINTS
- Leavitt, who stepped into the role at 27, is the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history
- She said the Trump White House will speak to 'all' media outlets, legacy or not
- The WH press team will restore the press passes of over 400 journalists who lost their passes under the Biden admin
- The White House's 'new media' approach will allow TikTokers, vloggers, podcasters, and other independent journalists to apply for coverage
U.S. President Donald Trump's White House is changing up things in how his administration will navigate media coverage, and the president's young press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, revealed Tuesday that the Trump White House will implement a "revolutionary media approach" in this regard.
Leavitt announced key changes in the U.S. government's press handling during her podium debut Tuesday.
Leavitt, who is a few months shy of her 28th birthday, made history as the United States' youngest White House press secretary..
She announced a new media approach, which she said aligns with the president's campaign promises.
This is the most important clip you will see today.
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) January 28, 2025
Press Sec., Karoline Leavitt, announces the Trump White House will be giving press passes to independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, etc.
This is a death knell for the archaic MSM.
We are the media now. pic.twitter.com/smhuRy1Rwa
"The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room," she said.
Leavitt went on to cite a recent Gallup survey that revealed "American's trust in mass media has fallen to a record low."
She noted how millions of Americans, especially the younger generation, have abandoned traditional media avenues to embrace new means of consuming news.
She then announced "historic" changes in the White House press briefing room under the Trump government:
- Restoration of press passes – Leavitt said the WH press team will work hard to restore the press passes of over 400 journalists whose passes were "wrongly revoked" by the Biden administration.
- Welcome, "new voices" – The new press secretary said the briefing room is opening coverage applications to individuals who produce any "news-related content," including independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and other related content creators.
When asked for more clarity about the changes, Leavitt noted that media organizations and companies that already have a seat within the White House press briefing room will not lose it but that "anybody" is encouraged to apply to cover the Trump White House, including "TikTok content creators" and vloggers as long as they produce "legitimate news content."
The changes within the White House's "new media" approach are a sharp turn away from previous administrations, which limited coverage applications to legacy news outlets.
