Inside City Council's new press policy
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
New press credentials for New Orleans City Council chambers. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Carlie here. I'm taking you behind the scenes in covering the New Orleans City Council.
Why it matters: The council rolled out a policy this week that raises an interesting question — who counts as a journalist these days?
The big picture: The new credentials are meant to keep the chamber's press table available for media, say Council President JP Morrell and PIO Samuel Myers.
- The table is often full during busy meetings, leaving reporters to sit in the audience.
- More content creators are attending meetings, too. They usually sit in the front row and sometimes at the press table.
How it works: People will need to request a pass to sit at the table.
- "We have a lot of people who sit up here who aren't media, and we're trying to make sure that you guys have somewhere to sit and do your job," Morrell says.
- The rules on the passes say they are for "verified media representatives."
- "If you come and tell our PIO you're media, he gives you a pass. That's how we define media," Morrell says.
Yes, but: Press access can be restricted or suspended "based on objective, viewpoint-neutral standards," the pass says.
- Morrell couldn't immediately explain those standards and said the council attorney would clarify.
- "But no one would ever be restricted for a different point of view," he added.
Reality check: Anyone can sit in the audience, and the council isn't using this to regulate access for interviews.
- The press passes are only for City Council chambers and don't affect access elsewhere in City Hall, city spokesperson Jonah Gilmore says.
Between the lines: This gets to a big question in journalism right now — are content creators journalists? The line continues to blur.
- At least for now, the council isn't drawing a distinction between traditional journalists and independent creators. Both can request a pass.
The bottom line: With press access under scrutiny nationally, I'm paying attention to who gets to decide what makes someone a journalist — even when the immediate stakes are just a seat at the table.