ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Inside my first White House press briefing
My first White House press briefing ended up being more than a simple briefing.
-
Shinjini Ghosh - Sun, 18, Jan 2026
- 04:36 EST
- 25
White House Press briefing room / Shinjini Ghosh
As a reporter, all that one wishes for is to be at the helm of the news circuit. While I have spent a considerable amount of time reporting from India’s capital New Delhi, little did I imagine how a White House press briefing in Washington DC, would look like.
Surprisingly, the press briefing room at the Capital of the world’s oldest democracy is not as vast as one would imagine. With reporters from across the globe scrambling to get a place in probably one of the most important rooms in the world, I found myself at a loss initially.
Thankfully that feeling didn’t last long. Thanks to extremely kind colleagues, most of whom I didn’t know, I managed to secure one of the most convenient spots to attend the briefing from.
The briefing by press secretary Karoline Leavitt was scheduled at 1:00 pm. It was only around 1:15 pm that it actually began. There were a flurry of thoughts, wrapped in anticipation and nervousness, that went through my mind while I waited. Little did I know what lay ahead.
Also Read: White House defends ICE after Minneapolis violence
My first White House press briefing ended up being more than a simple briefing. I got to witness a tense exchange between a reporter and one of the most important officials of the Trump administration.
While responding to a reporter’s query on several Americans losing their lives due to ICE raids across the country, Leavitt hit back and called the reporter “biased” and a “left-wing hack.”
Even though the entire war or words between Leavitt and the reporter probably lasted only a couple of minutes, it did leave a few thoughts with me.
Clearly, I was present in a place where the freedom of speech and opinion was of utmost importance - even if it was being vehemently refuted by the other party.
This exchange also happened to be on the day after a Washington Post reporter’s house was raided by the FBI. According to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the action was taken as the reporter was “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.”
At a time when democracy and the freedom of press itself have become a contentious phrases across the globe, my first White House briefing at least helped me realise that even with all the adversaries involved, one can still be fearless and stand up for the journalistic truth that we all aim for.
And without a doubt, the most important lesson was - never stop asking questions, even if that means that you’ll get knocked down publicly, by those in power.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login