Last summer we looked at the radical change regarding media that the U.S. Democratic Party made at its pre-election convention. Legacy media grumbled as 200 internet content creators got VIP treatment ahead of them.

Journalist Taylor Lorenz had little sympathy.

Recognizing that the official news media are in free fall, she skewers the legacy grumblers:

“The way creators are being mocked and belittled by so-called “established” journalists and observers online is nothing short of disgraceful. The entitlement, the arrogance, and the gatekeeping is appalling. While the viciousness of these attacks is upsetting, the backlash is not surprising. This is the same kind of protectionist behavior that has been happening in the media world for decades, as many invested in institutional power structures lash out amidst their dwindling influence. (I wrote about this last year for WaPo and extensively in my book). From the first blogger to receive White House press credentials in 2005, to fashion influencers being seated front row at Dolce & Gabbana in 2009, to this recent convention, creators have been infiltrating and upending traditional media structures for nearly 25 years.”

Taylor Lorenz, “My take on the journalists vs content creators debate,” Taylor Lorenz’s Newsletter, August 31, 2024

The Democrats lost the election but…

… that wasn’t likely because their media instincts were wrong. For one thing, the incoming Republican administration is introducing similar changes to the White House press briefing room:

BREAKING: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt make some huge news about changes to which outlets will be allowed into the Brady Briefing room including:

– Podcasters – Bloggers – Social Media Influencers

The media landscape has forever changed. It’s about time coverage of the White House was flipped on its head. Good!

In recent years, the briefing room had become an old boys’ network dominated by legendary news titans whose audience is either shrinking or becoming more specialized. As The Hill put it, “Traditionally, the first row of the James Brady Briefing Room has been occupied by the four major networks of NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox; The Associated Press; CNN; and Reuters.”

Some media have threatened a boycott: “‘It would be a total mess,’ one White House reporter told The Hill this week. “I would expect people would probably boycott the briefings, though that would put certain outlets in a tough spot deciding if they want to go along with what the Trump people are trying to pull.”

Say what you want about the Trump people. But in busting the Big (legacy) Media monopoly, they are only trying to “pull” what the Democratic National Convention did last fall: reflect an underlying reality about irreversible changes.

Note: Incidentally, Lorenz herself left the Washington Post in October and founded her own Substack, User Mag.