Creators, Do You Want To Work As White House Correspondents?
An open call from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for creators, influencers, podcasters, bloggers, Youtubers, and new media.
💬 Quick CONVERSATION STARTERS:
Have creators and influencers been at the White House before?
Are there more government and politics opportunities for creators or creator-adjacent experts?
Creators, apply!
The Trump’s White House is “opening up this briefing room to new media voices who produce news-related content and whose outlet is not already represented by one of the seats in this room.”
👉 You can apply here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/newmedia
The announcement was made yesterday by new White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in her official first briefing: “We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House.”
It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.
— Karoline Leavitt
The first “new media” yesterday at the briefing, however, were not properly creators or podcaster. Rather, for the debut of the program, Leavitt selected Mike Allen from Axios, Matt Boyle from Breitbart.
She added: “My team will review the applications and give credentials to new media applicants who meet our criteria and pass United States Secret Service requirements to enter the White House complex.”
And she repeated her call later in the briefing: “We also, again, encourage anybody in this country — whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, a podcaster — if you are producing legitimate news content, no matter the medium, you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House […] we encourage people to apply.”
Leavitt also added: “As long as you are creating news-related content of the day and you’re a legitimate independent journalist, you’re welcome to cover this White House.”
Messaging in the Trump2.0 era
“In keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room,” Leavitt pointed out.
She mentioned a recent polling from Gallup, according to which — she said — “Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen to a record low; millions of Americans, especially young people, have turned from traditional television outlets and newspapers to consume their news from podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent outlets.”
Have creators and influencers been at the White House before?
Yes, creators and influencers have worked with the previous Biden administration but never as accredited media in the White House briefing room.
Biden’s Office of Digital Strategy was the first one to develop a partnership program with content creators and influencers and invite them to policy and foreign policy briefings. They also partnered with NATO and the US State Department during last summer’s NATO Summit in Washington DC to embed around 30 creators.
Also in the summer, the past administration hosted the first-ever White House Creator Economy Summit with the participation of around 100 experts and creators.
What does the Substack community think?
- said in : “She outlined a vision for a more inclusive media landscape, one that welcomes not only traditional outlets but also independent voices that reflect the changing nature of modern media.”
- wrote in : “The U.S. dying legacy media’s world experienced a tectonic shift today during the first press briefing held by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.”
- said in : “Whatever you think of Trump (or Leavitt), this is a GOOD thing. And a recognition of just how much the media landscape has changed.”
- explained in : “I believe the freedom of the press is two fold. First, the purpose of a free press is to ensure that the public receives the full and unvarnished truth. Ever since I started doing this work, I have made that my commitment to you. Second, a free press must hold leaders accountable for their actions. And so, if I am accepted to enter the White House briefing room, I will fight for the unvarnished truth and use my questions to hold Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump, and the entire Administration accountable.”
- of posted on Threads: “I'm curious to see how this will be executed and whether it will be used to reach young people where they're at — or a way to amplify misinformation and disinformation.”
- wrote in : “It’s a historic day as Karoline Leavitt became the first Gen Zer to officially take the White House press briefing podium.”
- pointed out: “The inclusion of new media personalities in the briefing room is not just a nod to modern communication trends but also a strategic move to ensure that the administration's narrative is disseminated through channels that resonate with a broader, and often younger, audience. This could potentially reshape the dynamics of White House press briefings, bringing in fresh perspectives and fostering a more interactive and diverse dialogue.”
- offered his point of view in his and asked his readers whether they think he should apply: “On the one hand, I love the idea of Joe Biden spinning in his grave when he learns that the guy his minions got banned from Twitter now has official access to the White House.1 I might get to ask some good questions, too. On the other, I tend to do my best stories outside the work - and Washington reporters are as cliquey and tight as they come. I don’t want to lose my independence.”
- wrote on Notes: “Just a reminder. If you want to be a professional reporter covering the White House, you apply through the White House correspondents. If you just want access, for whatever reason, you can apply through the White House for access.”
Are there more government and politics opportunities for creators or creator-adjacent experts?
As spotted on LinkedIn by
recently: “Democratic House leaders are hiring a Content Partnership Manager to help Dems boost their reach with creators, streamers, and podcasters…”
Incredible! I applied.
Thanks for the notice. I applied already and just waiting to see what the response is.