Over 400 reporters have seen their White House credentials revoked since the administration updated its press pass criteria.
The White House press office implemented new standards in May for the renewal of “hard passes” — the coveted credentials that grant regular access to the presidential press briefings. Reporters without hard passes can still apply for day passes.
The change reportedly led to a decline in the number of credentialed White House correspondents from 1417 to 975, a shift attributed to a mix of renewals and new applications. A White House spokesperson clarified that only one reporter had their application for a new hard pass denied, suggesting that the rest might not have reapplied due to not meeting the new qualifications.
Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly ends the White House Press Conference after getting into a shouting match with an African reporter: pic.twitter.com/BFFJmlMSh3
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 8, 2022
Journalists affected by this change were given an extension until August 10 to transition to the new criteria and renew their credentials.
Under the updated standards, reporters must demonstrate full-time employment with a news dissemination organization, have a physical address in the Washington, D.C. area, and provide proof of accessing the White House campus for work in the previous six months.
Further requirements include having an assignment to regularly cover the White House, along with accreditation by a press gallery in either the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, or Supreme Court. Applicants must also be willing to undergo U.S. Secret Service investigations to determine eligibility.
Notably, passes can be revoked if a journalist fails to behave “in a professional manner,” with escalating consequences for violations.
Karine Jean-Pierre refuses to call on African reporter:
"Do you have something against African reporters?" pic.twitter.com/amTkF9Eag9
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 9, 2022
The White House justified these changes as a security measure, pointing out that a significant number of hard pass holders had not accessed the White House complex in the preceding 90 days.
Critics have raised concerns over the perceived targeting of some reporters. Simon Ateba from Today News Africa accused the White House of altering the rules to specifically affect him. Despite these concerns, the White House spokesperson emphasized that the changes were part of a comprehensive process aimed at maintaining media access while enhancing security on the campus.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House Press Office for further comment on the criticisms surrounding the updated guidelines.
