Trump trains the media: In the future, he wants to surround himself with journalists who think he is right

Neue Zürcher Zeitung Germany Trump trains the media: In the future, he wants to surround himself with journalists who think he is right Renzo Ruf, Washington • 10 hours • 4 minutes reading time President Donald Trump and the media have a strained relationship. Recently, at a press conference in the East Room of the White House: The introductory statements are over, and now the American president can choose the first questioner. Donald Trump doesn't hesitate for a second and points demonstratively at Brian Glenn, who is sitting far back in the room. "Brian, would you like to ask a question?" An unusual step, since Glenn does not represent a leading American media outlet in the White House. Rather, he is a figurehead of the young media company "Real America's Voice". The internet platform, founded in autumn 2020, is home to right-wing commentators such as Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. Trump events are broadcast in full length - while most TV stations have switched to showing only excerpts. At the media conference, Glenn, who supports Trump "100 percent", uses the opportunity to ask the president about a positive opinion poll. "You have the support of the American people," he assures the president - tones that are not normally heard at such events in the White House. Trump, in turn, politely thanks the person who asked the question. And a little later gives him a red baseball cap that reads: "Trump was right about everything." The press corps in the White House will have to get used to such scenes. In the future, the president wants to surround himself with even more media professionals who openly support him. Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokeswoman, announced this week that her team is now responsible for selecting the media professionals who are allowed to ask the president questions. The White House wants to give "new voices" the opportunity to speak directly to Trump and better reflect the media consumption of Americans in 2025. The White House disempowers the journalists' association You have to know: The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has acted as a gatekeeper for media professionals in the White House for more than 100 years. The approximately 800 members of the independent journalists' association decided on their own who would have access to the president at events with limited space. Due to cramped conditions and logistical hurdles, this was only a small group at any time. One of the tasks of this "pool", however, is to inform the other correspondents promptly about all important events in the president's environment. Criticism of this system is not new. It is true that large media organizations such as news agencies or long-established television stations were treated with privilege in the White House for many years - but this is also due to the fact that they have more staff, larger budgets and a greater reach than many other media. But the division of labor in the White House actually worked quite well after the WHCA responded to the structural changes in the media scene in recent years. A few years ago, small online publications were also used for "pool" services. A radical change to the previous model is therefore not appropriate, says the journalists' association. Its president, Eugene Daniels, who still works for "Politico," even speaks of an attack by the White House on press freedom. The president's selective approach is not compatible with the basic principles of freedom of expression, said Daniels. Donald Trump does not like to hear critical questions. That does not stop Trump from continuing to attack leading media organizations. This week, for example, he described MSNBC as a threat to democracy. He is also demanding a tightening of libel laws, a long-standing concern of Trump. AP defends itself against banishment from the Oval Office These are not empty threats, as a legal dispute currently taking place in Washington shows. At the center is the Associated Press (AP), the news agency founded in 1846. On Monday, a federal judge in Washington turned down its request for a super-provisional injunction against the White House. The news agency wanted to regain access to events with the president in this way - after the White House imposed a ban on AP correspondents two weeks ago. Since then, the agency's American employees are no longer welcome at Trump's press conferences, are not allowed to enter the Oval Office or board the presidential plane Air Force One. This dispute began because the news agency refused to accept the name change enforced by Trump.