At her first press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt introduced a new addition to the briefing room—an extra seat designated for journalists from “new media” outlets. Positioned near her podium, the rotating seat aims to expand press access.

“Starting today, this seat in the front of the room, which is usually occupied by the press secretary’s staff, will be called the new media seat,” said Leavitt, 27. “My team will review applications and give credentials to new media applicants who meet our criteria and pass United States Secret Service requirements to enter the White House complex.”

This move represents a more measured approach than some members of the White House press corps had anticipated. Leading up to the briefing, there was speculation that President Trump’s media team might restructure the 49 existing press seats.

Leavitt explained that the new seat will be shared among a range of outlets with differing viewpoints, including Axios, a Beltway news site, and Breitbart, a right-leaning publication. Both organizations have long covered the White House but have not had permanent briefing room seats.

Traditionally, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) determines press seating arrangements, though, in principle, the administration has the authority to make changes. This possibility raised concerns among some reporters accustomed to their current positions.

The location of a media outlet’s seat can impact its likelihood of being called on for questions. In the front row, major television networks—NBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, and CNN—sit alongside news agencies The Associated Press and Reuters. These organizations typically dominate the questioning, sometimes receiving multiple turns, while reporters seated farther back often get few or no opportunities.

The WHCA plans to reassess seating assignments this year and has encouraged front-row journalists to be more mindful of their allotted time. Repeatedly asking similar questions for the sake of securing a soundbite has been an ongoing issue, and the association hopes to create more opportunities for other reporters to address topics relevant to their audiences.

Leavitt also announced plans to roll back certain policies from the Biden administration, including a 2023 rule that imposed stricter requirements for journalists to obtain press passes by mandating eligibility for a congressional press badge.

That policy was widely seen as an attempt to remove Today News Africa journalist Simon Ateba, who frequently interrupted press briefings to challenge then-Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for not calling on him.

“Our team will work diligently to restore the press passes of the 440 journalists whose passes were wrongly revoked by the previous administration,” Leavitt said.