media coverage of Congress

Of the three branches of the federal government, Congress traditionally has been the most open to newspaper and broadcast journalists. While the executive and judicial branches do much of their work in private, Congress holds hearings, debates, and votes in public. Representing both parties and a wide range of ideologies, members of Congress are usually willing to give interviews and information to the press.

In 1789 the popularly elected House opened its floor debates and voting to the public and the press. Senators, still elected by state legislatures, debated in closed session until 1794. The first reporters to cover Congress were really stenographers paid by private newspapers to record the debates. From their notes evolved the Congressional Record. By the 1820s “letter writers,” or correspondents, sat in the congressional galleries gathering information for more interpretive reporting.

When the number of these correspondents increased, the Senate set aside the first press gallery in 1841, and the House did so soon afterward. These press galleries guaranteed accredited reporters regular seats in the Senate and House chambers and also provided them a room behind the galleries in which to write their stories. By the 1850s telegraph facilities were set up within the press galleries to decrease the time it took correspondents to wire the news to their papers. In the 20th century Congress established separate radio-television galleries as well as recording studios where members could prepare taped remarks for broadcast.

The press, President, and Congress

Despite Congress's openness, press attention has shifted steadily toward the White House since the 1930s. A single President is easier to visualize and portray than 535 voting members of Congress. Presidents have gained easier access to the media than to individual members of Congress, and they can use television to appeal directly to public opinion.

Yet there are some 5,000 reporters who hold passes to the House and Senate press galleries. To become accredited and receive a congressional press pass, reporters must show that they work full-time as journalists, have no affiliation with any government agency, and are not involved in lobbying Congress for any private interests. Gallery space could never accommodate these thousands of reporters, but only a small number is present regularly at the Capitol to cover committee hearings and floor proceedings. A larger number of reporters appears only occasionally, in search of some specific information or to interview members and staff about the issues of the day.

Regional reporting

Some journalists report for national news networks, magazines, and major metropolitan newspapers. But most on Capitol Hill are “regional reporters” who report for smaller papers or chains of papers located in a particular state or region. Regional reporters seek news that will be of special interest to local or regional readers and viewers. They generally form mutual working relationships with the members of Congress from their region, who are their best sources of news. In return, the members of Congress seek favorable publicity to keep their name and their activities before the voters back home.

Impact of the Internet

By the mid-1990s, the global digital communications system known as the Internet had made an impact on Congress. Every member established a Web site to provide information directly to constituents and other “browsers.” Newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations also set up on-line departments to provide constantly updated news, 24 hours a day. Internet reporters began appearing on Capitol Hill, forcing the various press galleries to determine if they were legitimately part of the news media and whether to issue them press credentials.

See also Press secretary; News conferences, Presidential

Sources

• Donald A. Ritchie, Press Gallery: Congress and the Washington Correspondents (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991)