The White House Museum Website - Press Briefing Room Facing West (2008)

John MacDonald
Gallatin Public Affairs
August 4, 2010

For most, the story of who would get the “coveted” White House briefing room seat held by Hearst correspondent Helen Thomas was probably too much inside baseball. For me, it was a hoot to sit in the bleachers and watch how the press and bloggers reported it.

Thomas was forced to resign in June after making what could only be described as “journalistically inappropriate” comments, expressing her feelings about Israel. Her departure meant an open, front-row seat among what many see as an ego-driven White House press corps where status is determined by how close one sits to the podium.

Depending on which news organization you read or what blogs you follow, the “battle” for her seat has been described as everything from an all-out catfight to a conspiracy involving payoffs and special favors.

Liberal groups rallied in an online effort to get Fox banned from the front row in favor of someone like National Public Radio. Others theorized the administration would never “allow” Fox in the front row because of its coverage of the president. Liberal groups are now claiming credit for Fox not getting Thomas’ front-and-center seat.

The real story is far less juicy.

When the press room was revamped about four years ago, a seventh seat was added to each row. At the time, CNN and Fox News – both of which were relegated to the second row (still pretty good seats) – were expected to lobby hard for the spot. (Seat assignments are actually made by White House Correspondents Association, not the White House).

Surprisingly to many, Fox deferred, saying the seat rightly belonged to CNN because of its longer history at the White House. CNN, of course, didn’t argue that point and Ed Henry’s butt was warming the seat before the paint was dry. The White House Correspondents Association, meanwhile, was said to have made a quiet gentlemen’s agreement: Next time a front-row seat opened, Fox would move up.

Some mistakenly believed that meant Fox would get Thomas’ coveted seat and the honor of asking the first question at every news conference. Regardless of what some have written, that was never going to happen. One does not get promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Brigadier General overnight, and one certainly doesn’t move from the second row to front-and-center seat at the White House overnight either.

The seat assignment is one of seniority and respect; given to a/the senior White House correspondent, and typically one who works for a wire service, rather than a specific publication or network. Thomas took the seat several years ago while with United Press International.

When Thomas resigned, the logical choice for the seat assignment was The Associated Press and its longtime chief White House correspondent, Terry Hunt, who sat two seats to Thomas’ left in the front row.

That meant the AP’s old seat in the front row was open, and while several news organizations were vying for it – including NPR and Bloomberg – most were not surprised that the White House Correspondents Association kept its agreement and gave the seat to Fox.

For those keeping track, NPR did move up in the White House briefing room pecking order – dusting the crumbs off Fox’s old second-row seat. One media outlet, U.S. News and World Report, lost its seat entirely.