A White House correspondent is a journalist who covers the White House and the President of the United States. A journalist must meet certain requirements in order to be granted press credentials as a White House correspondent. He or she must also be able to cover the news objectively and fairly.
To receive permanent press credentials, journalists must be affiliated with a news station or organization. He or she must also be regularly published, independent, and non-partisan, and the correspondent’s organization must be financially supported advertisers or subscribers. There are also other requirements, such as passing a background check and earning more than half of one’s income from the news organization.
These permanent press credentials are crucial because they distinguish a White House correspondent from a journalist with a White House day pass in most cases. A journalist can apply for a day pass to gain press access to White House events or news briefings for one day. A journalist with a permanent pass, on the other hand, has more in-depth access to what is going on at the White House.
A White House correspondent usually works out of the West Wing of the White House. He or she is allowed into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room for regular press briefings. It is also permissible to travel with the President. When the President makes the news, a White House correspondent is present to relay the information to the general public.
When it is not possible to allow a large number of reporters into a small venue, a chief White House correspondent is usually a senior news official. He or she will take notes and relay the information to other coworkers or the general public. The White House press pool is a term used to describe this group of reporters.
The cost of covering the news is becoming a growing concern for a White House correspondent. News organizations have traditionally covered the cost of chartered planes that allow a journalist to travel with the President and report the news. As more emphasis is placed on making financially sound decisions, news organizations are reducing the number of chartered flights they use, leaving journalists with the responsibility of following the President. This may entail flying commercially and risk missing the event, or staying behind and delegating the task to a local reporter.