Donald Trump Met Privately With Network Executives And Anchors

President-elect Donald Trump met privately with top network executives and anchors at Trump Tower on Monday for an off-the-record gathering that comes amid serious concerns about the level of access journalists will receive from the incoming White House. 

Network anchors have traditionally held off-the-record meetings with the president ahead of the State of the Union address, and President Barack Obama held several private discussions with leading columnists and commentators. But it’s less common to have both network bosses and top on-air talent to meet with a president, or in this case, the president-elect. 

The news media failed to strongly challenge Trump’s unprecedented constraints on the press during the campaign. As president-elect, he has given journalists limited access, including rejecting a “protective pool” of a few rotating reporters who cover his travels. He also hasn’t held a press conference yet.

Although it was off the record, the event wasn’t kept a secret. Some of the most prominent figures in television news began parading through Trump Tower ahead of a 1 p.m. meeting (as seen on C-SPAN’s camera).