Reporters, Facing a Hostile White House, Try a New Tactic: Solidarity

An unusual show of solidarity between rival journalists seemed to signal a new approach by the White House press corps toward an administration that regularly uses briefings to deride, and divide, the news media.

Hallie Jackson, a correspondent for NBC News, was grilling the press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, about President Trump’s credibility, given his attempts at damage control after a Helsinki summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Sanders, eager to move on, invoked a tried-and-true spin doctor tactic: Next question, please. “I’m going to keep moving,” she said, interrupting Jackson and turning to Jordan Fabian of The Hill. “Jordan, go ahead.”  A brief silence fell over the room, before Fabian spoke up. “Hallie,” he said, “go ahead if you want.”

Covering the White House is among the most competitive jobs in Washington journalism, a fact that press secretaries are keen to exploit. Between the demands of story-hungry editors — and a shot at cable-news glory — few reporters pass up a chance to ask a question on live TV. So Fabian’s gesture, which caught Sanders off guard, quickly resonated beyond the West Wing. Perhaps the moments of stonewalling from Sanders — and a notable recent drop-off in the frequency of the briefings — had generated a minor revolt in the press.