White House opens press credentials for content creators, podcasters. Response? Over 7,400 influencers send applications

The United States White House has received more than 7,400 applications from non-traditional media people seeking press credentials, a day after the administration said it would open media briefings to content creators, influencers and podcasters, according to a Bloomberg report.

This comes after the Trump Administration unveiled a groundbreaking plan to allocate seats in the White House press briefing room to representatives from “new media” outlets, to provide representation to groups that have not traditionally had access to the briefing room.

What Did The White House Say?

The White House on January 28 said it will reserve space in its media briefings for “new media voices” adding that it would allow applications from such participants online, the report added.

Speaking at her first press briefing as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “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.”

Applications will be reviewed by Leavitt’s team and must meet specific criteria, including passing the US Secret Service’s security checks.

Which Influencers, Podcasters, Content Creators Have Applied?

As per the Bloomberg report, far-right publication Breitbart and online publication Axios were among the first to participate.

Notably, during his campaign for the White House, US President Donald Trump’s gave interviews to podcaster Joe Rogan, YouTuber Logan Paul and comedian Theo Von. The strategy is largely credited with boosting his appeal among young, male conservative voters, the report added.

Are Young Americans Shifting Away From Traditional Media?

The report cited a Pew Research Center study which found that as much as 40 per cent of young Americans under 30 years of age rely on social media influencers to stay updated on current events and politics.

Officials told the publication that opening its press conferences to non-traditional news media allows influencers to directly question administration officials.

Leavitt, the youngest press secretary in history at 27 years old, also belongs to the target American audience age group.

The move is not unprecedented, last year, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) invited more than 200 content creators to help cover the election. US news channel NBC also roped in dozens of influencers to report on the Olympics in Paris, France and gave them press credentials alongside traditional journalists.

Former US president Joe Biden too hosted over 100 influencers at its first ever White House Creator Economy Conference in 2024, and regularly briefed social media influencers on policy issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)