Members of Congress are granting Capitol Hill guest privileges to online content creators with the purpose of pushing their agenda. The lawmakers are using their staff to host influencers who couldn’t otherwise get press credentials.
Under the current rules, membership to the press galleries is limited to “bona fide correspondents of repute in their profession who are full-time, paid correspondents of recognized news organizations.”
That automatically disqualifies independent journalists and commentators. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., asked the press gallery to be more open to including independent creators. The problem is, many of them are openly biased and advocate for certain policies, which also makes them ineligible.
Applicants for a press credential must not be engaged in publicity or promotion work for any individual or political party.
The practice has been happening throughout the year, and the content creators have frequently broken established rules about approaching lawmakers and filming in restricted areas. An encounter between Don Lemon and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., pushed the issue into the spotlight. A Capitol Police officer asked Lemon and his team how he was able to access the area, a Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) staff member said she was hosting them.
The DPCC is in charge of developing the party’s messaging. It’s providing independent journalist Don Lemon with a congressional staff escort so he can livestream his show from Capitol Hill. The escort is giving Lemon access to the campus that he would not otherwise have.
SAN asked DPCC co-chair Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., why they are giving Lemon an escort. His answer revealed it’s a common practice.
“We have a digital person who escorts a lot of different creators when they’re on the hill,” Frost said.
Frost added that while there is no coordination of content, the DPCC ensures that the content creators can meet with certain members. When asked, he did not say whether the staffer is taxpayer-funded.
Republicans are doing the same thing. In fact, the Republican Study Committee, which shapes conservative policy in Congress, hosted what it called “New Media Row” in July. The guests included Jackson Gosnell, an independent journalist and commentator, and the Conservative Political Action Conference, a political advocacy organization.
The RSC said the event gave its members “unprecedented access to new audiences who are shaping the national conversation.”
