Less than a week after the Washington State Senate adopted a rule change restricting credentialed members of the media from accessing “the wings” and adjacent rooms of the Senate, unless invited by a lawmaker or staff member, journalist Jonathan Choe received his credentials. He was denied access anyway.
Choe, a journalist and senior fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth and Poverty, was denied access to Tuesday’s weekly media availability event held by legislative Democratic leaders despite his newly issued one-week pass.
The press rule change came after the Capitol Correspondents Association decided to return press credentialing authority to the Senate and House.
As reported by The Center Square, prior to that change, the CCA determined who was allowed to receive press credentials. These credentials give reporters access to areas of the Capitol Building where the general public is not allowed without the escort of a lawmaker or staff member.
Senate security initially asked Choe to wait outside the chamber while it checked whether he was allowed to go inside with his limited pass.
Aaron Wasser, Senate Democrats communications director, then emerged and told Choe that he was not allowed inside because he is not a legitimate member of the media.
The Center Square witnessed the subsequent exchange in which Choe showed Wasser his credentials, including being the Seattle bureau reporter for Newsmax and the lead investigative reporter for Frontlines Turning Point USA.
“I have my credential right here,” Choe said, showing Wasser the purple day pass he had picked up that morning.
“But not for the wings,” Wasser responded.
“But the press briefings are in the wings,” pressed Choe.
“Yeah, I know, and you can’t come in the wings,” Wasser said.
“What are you afraid of?” asked Choe.
“You’re not a real reporter,” Wasser retorted.
The exchange continued for a few more moments before Wasser walked back inside the wings, leaving Choe outside.
“We’re in a strange place, and it’s an increasingly polarized world. Our media has to have access, and we’re seeing a decrease in access,” Ellen Haitt, executive director of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, told The Center Square in a phone interview.
Haitt said she hopes the WNPA can work with lawmakers during the interim to craft new rules that increase media access and transparency.
“It used to be the press policing themselves and judging the legitimacy of an outlet, but things are so polarized now,” she added.
Choe spoke with state Sen Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, inside the Republican wings of the Senate after being denied access on the Democratic side.
“I think we ought to have a free and open press,” Goehner said. “If you’re in the public eye and making public laws, it seems like the public should know what’s going on.”
An hour later, Choe was allowed into Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office for a press conference on budget negotiations; in that case, no one checked press credentials.
Choe further questioned Wasser about how he could gain access to the Senate Democratic wings given his weekly pass notes he can be “escorted” by a lawmaker or staff member.
Wasser said they are still “figuring it all out” given the rule change is brand new, but continued to assert that Choe is not a real reporter.
The House is expected to craft its own new rules for media access.
