The seating change was prompted by the resignation of veteran UPI reporter Helen Thomas. According to Ed Henry, the senior White House correspondent for CNN and member of the WHCA board, the Associated Press will move to the front-row middle seat formerly occupied by Thomas.
Fox News will replace the AP in its former seat, also in the front row, and NPR, which lobbied for Thomas’ seat along with Fox and Bloomberg News, will take Fox’s former seat in the second row.
The 2010-2011 WHCA board includes representatives from USA Today, Reuters, C-SPAN, the New York Times, Politico, Time Magazine, NPR and the DC Examiner…
…Liberal groups had lobbied for NPR’s placement in the front row over Fox, which one petition called a "right-wing propaganda outlet."
But having left-wing propaganda outlets up front is a-ok of course. Not so bad for an “illegitimate news organization.” Doug Powers writing at Michelle Malkin’s blog expresses his wish for Fox News’ first day at the front, Is it too much to hope for that Major Garrett will call in sick on Fox’s first day in front and to fill in for him they’ll hire Andrew Breitbart as a temp?” Probably, though that would be pretty entertaining.
Kudos to Major Garrett and Fox News.
HT: Memeorandum