Is the Trump White House elaborately trolling reporters?

President Trump.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

At what point does regular old incompetence become an elaborate troll game? Perplexed and frustrated White House correspondents are attempting to define that surprisingly fine line. While tradition and journalistic reliability have for years dictated which organizations can ask questions at White House press briefings, the Trump administration has opened the floodgates by inviting right-wing bloggers and other Trump-friendly outlets, such as the one run by 19-year-old Kyle Mazza, the sole reporter of UNF News, which "owns no bandwidth on TV or radio," The New Yorker reports.

While some reporters said they appreciate the mix of geographic and ideological diversity that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has introduced to the room, Sirius XM's Jared Rizzi added: "I don't appreciate diversity of journalistic practice."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.