When the President makes and breaks the news: Can American media keep up?

Mainstream outlets like CNN beef up digital presence, look to streaming in fight for eyeballs

- Bhagyashree Garekar

WASHINGTON - In the battle for narratives, the Trump White House is leaving nothing to chance.

After the negative coverage which sometimes veered on the dismissive or condescending during his first term, President Donald Trump is working hard to deny the media the chance to scoop him on any significant moment of his second term.

He fires off dozens of posts a day on Truth Social - replete with his telltale capitalized letters and exclamation marks - offering news updates, unvarnished opinions on news events, admonishments to political foes and warnings to nations far and near.

On Feb 2, he posted his decision to pause the threatened tariffs on Mexico and Canada after phone calls with their leaders. That was the cue for the media to report the news; there was no formal readout from the phone calls as is the custom.

His media team is on message. His press secretary Karoline Leavitt began her first formal press conference on Jan 29 by leveling the playing field between the ever-growing tribe of podcasters, influencers and content creators, and the journalists.

The strategy reflects the changing landscape: The new media influencers, with no media training but with engaging points of view, are drawing hundreds of millions of eyeballs, while established newspapers and TV stations are facing dwindling reach.

Speaking in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, the stage for press briefings and presidential announcements which is located in the West Wing of the White House, Ms Leavitt not only assured the "new" media of a seat in the front but also allowed them to ask the first question.

That privilege has traditionally been accorded to the Associated Press, a nod to its status as the major American wire service, which was founded in 1846.

As she promised access to the "most transparent president in American history", Ms Leavitt also invited the new media dabblers to apply for credentials to cover the White House.