So, I applied for a press pass to cover the Trump White House... 🪪
Thoughts on independent journalism
On Tuesday, in her first media briefing as White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt broke with a long-held tradition.
Rather than give the first question to the Associated Press, a pillar of the legacy media, Leavitt instead turned to Axios’ Mike Allen. After Allen, Leavitt called on Matthew Boyle of Breitbart News.
And then she said this:
It is a fact that Americans are consuming their news media from various different platforms, especially young people.
And as the youngest Press Secretary in history thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices to share the President's message with as many Americans as possible. In doing so, number one, we will ensure that outlets like yours, Axios and Breitbart, which are widely respected and viewed outlets, have an actual seat in this room every day.
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. And as I said earlier, our new media website is WhiteHouse.gov/newmedia. And so we encourage people to apply. Again, as long as you are creating news-related content of the day and you're an -- legitimate independent journalist, you're welcome to cover this White House.
On X following the briefing, Leavitt posted this:
So, I applied. It was a single-page form — asking my name, my website (I put this Substack address) and my zip code. And that was it. Application submitted!
Whatever you think of Trump (or Leavitt), this is a GOOD thing. And a recognition of just how much the media landscape has changed.
Do I think Breitbart News is doing journalism the way I am? I do not. They are clearly very pro-Trump in all of their coverage. Do I think Axios is the best representative of the changing face of media? Not really. Axios is a big-ass company that is owned by an even bigger media company.
But, my general point remains: The idea of opening the White House press briefings to organizations beyond the legacy media is the right thing to do.
Will the White House approve my application? Honestly, I sort of doubt it. Which is ok! Tons of independent journalists and news creators are going to apply for this. They can’t say “yes” to everyone. (The White House has received more than 7,400 requests for independent media credentials since just yesterday.)
I very much hope, however, that the Trump White House doesn’t just (or mostly) approve only news creators who are predictably in favor of their partisan views. If they want to do a one and one as they did on Tuesday — one partisan news outlet (Breitbart) and one more nonpartisan outlet (Axios) — that would be fine with me. In fact that would be great — whether I was ever the representative for the nonpartisan media.
As always, I hope for the best. We shall see.
Why Jim Acosta Matters
The decision by the White House to open up the press briefing room wasn’t the only major moment in the growth — and recognition — of independent news creators that happened on Tuesday.
The other one was Jim Acosta’s decision to a) walk away from CNN and b) start a Substack. (You should subscribe to Jim’s Substack here:
)“I am going independent, at least for now,” Jim said in his first post on Substack. “This is just the beginning, but I wanted to invite you to join me here on this platform as we talk about the day’s news, talk about politics, and so on.”
Such a scenario — a prominent news anchor walking away from a time-slot demotion — for a life in independent media was, quite literally, unthinkable even a few years ago.
This, from
, nails it (bolding is mine):It's been only a few hours since Jim Acosta announced his departure from CNN and he's already officially launched his Substack.
I think it's telling that these media stars don't even bother looking for other jobs before launching their own independent outlets; that's not to say his agents won't continue shopping around for deals, but my guess is that any future legacy media contract would operate in parallel to what he's building on his own.
Paul Krugman. Jen Rubin. Jim Acosta. All these jumps from legacy media outlets happened within just the last few weeks, and they were all completely voluntary. This is just such a rapid shift in power and influence from traditional outlets to independent media. This should be an exciting time for those frustrated by how bad the mainstream media has been at covering issues that matter to everyday people.
I think it’s possible that Acosta lands at, say, MSNBC at some point. But, honestly, I am not sure doing so would give him a) more influence ) a higher profile or c) more money.
Acosta started his Substack roughly 24 hours ago. He has more than 70,000 subscribers. That’s stunning.
What it speaks to is something I have been seeing for at least the last six months: Substack is no longer simply something a journalist who has been cast off or cast aside from legacy media does until he or she finds their next gig in that legacy media world.
It has become something that you can do INSTEAD of working a job in legacy media. And do so while a) keeping your independence and freedom from the billionaires and giant corporations that own these legacy media companies and b) make a good enough living to support your family and c) have what you write and say be a relevant part of the political conversation happening in DC (and across the world) every day.
My Substack Journey
I will admit that when I started writing this newsletter, I thought of it like a bridge between legacy media jobs. (Sort of like Joe Biden as a “bridge” to a next generation of Democratic leaders. HA!)
I kept waiting for a call from those legacy media sites asking me to come work for them. And waiting. And waiting.
After about six months, I realized two things:
That call or email or direct message wasn’t coming
Substack could be a lot more than just a thing I did between “real” jobs. Substack could BE my “real” job.
My perspective — and approach — changed after that. Rather than pull a punch here or there to make sure I kept myself in good standing with the bosses of the legacy media world, I started to just say and write what I thought.
My north star became not getting re-hired by a legacy media operation but rather to be authentic and real. To speak and write from the heart — without fear of the repercussions.
And guess what happened? This Substack started to grow. And continues to grow. Is that growth as rapid as I would like? Of course not! But, up and to the right is what matters.
It’s been incredibly encouraging — a green shoot of optimism amid the incredibly dark news that surrounds the business of media these days.
The idea that you can do what you love and be able to make a living doing it without being tied to the legacy media? It simply did not exist even a few years ago!
The Sea Change
This is a sea change in journalism and content. And, honestly, it feels as though we are rapidly reaching a tipping point where everyone — politicians, the legacy media, the public — is realizing that fact. The White House welcoming new media creators is just the most recent example of how fast this is all changing — and where it’s headed.
It’s funny — and I NEVER thought I would say this but: I am glad CNN decided to part ways with me two years ago. It gave me a jump-start on building an independent news creator life — this Substack, my YouTube channel, my “Politics Aside” show, speaking gigs and the rest.
I feel like I have been building houses for two years in a neighborhood most people didn’t know existed — and now it’s become the hottest place to live.
Which is a GREAT feeling. I have never felt more enthusiastic about my life as an independent news creator. And that’s thanks to Substack. And to all of you who have been willing to invest your time — and your money — in what I am building.
I’ll keep you updated on whether I get approved to cover the Trump White House. But the very fact that I am able to apply to do so speaks to how far independent journalism has come in a very short time.
The only issue with all substack subscriptions is having to have a large number of them. It would be great to have a "package" of journalists at one price.
What about real investigative journalism? The kind of thing often requiring teams of reporters simultaneously exploring various angles, the presence of thoughtful editors and graphic artists to provide second eyes and sophisticated visual resources, the synergy and unexpeced surprises those various elements often produce, and the considerable resources in travel, data discovery and other things often required -- in other words, the thing the dreaded "legacy media" has done very well on complicated and important topics such as climate change, race relations, sexual abuse in the Catholic church and other places. Stuff beyond just your take or opinion on the latest developments, however experienced and thoughful that might be? Has there been much or any partnerships built between various independents to produce some semblance of something that ambitious? And of course all the way to the other end of the spectrum, with the continuing deterioration of legacy media and its smaller offshoots, what intelligent coverage of local government, school boards, police stations, city halls and county board, can anyone expect in this changing landscape? I don't think anyone is substacking that very much, though maybe it's coming.