Exclusive: White House reaches beyond legacy media, gives local outlets a seat at the table

President Donald Trump’s administration has made a continuous effort to give local and alternative media access to the White House newsroom, which has historically been dominated by legacy media.

During the local media row hosted Wednesday by the White House, Blaze News learned just how many media outlets were given a seat at the table.

‘At the local media row, families in living rooms across the country were able to hear directly from top administration officials.’

The local media row hosted four national radio outlets, 11 local radio stations from 11 different states, and two local TV affiliates that broadcast to 34 states across the country, according to a breakdown of the event obtained exclusively by Blaze News. In sum, a total of 73 radio interviews were held, reaching roughly 60 million viewers and listeners across America.

“President Trump is leading the most transparent administration in history,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Blaze News. “On day one, he signed an executive order to promote free speech and end the weaponization of government, and his administration restored over 400 press passes previously revoked by the Biden administration.”

Americans who tuned in to the local media row were able to hear from over a dozen administration officials and Cabinet secretaries like Energy Secretary Chris Wright, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, border czar Tom Homan, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

‘It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt our White House to the new media landscape in 2025.’

“At the local media row, families in living rooms across the country were able to hear directly from top administration officials, including several Cabinet secretaries, thanks to President Trump’s commitment to restoring transparency and sharing updates with the American people far and wide,’ Kelly added.

The local media row is just the latest installment of the White House’s commitment to widening the tent of media access beyond traditional legacy media.

Just days after Trump was inaugurated, Leavitt unveiled the “New Media” seat reserved in the White House press briefing room in order to incorporate alternative media outlets that have been denied access in the past.

“It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt our White House to the new media landscape in 2025,” Leavitt said during her debut briefing.

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