Fox News, Bloomberg Spar Over Thomas Seat

Oh its on. With Helen Thomas no longer occupying the coveted front row seat in the White House briefing room, the two leading contenders, Fox News and Bloomberg, are making their cases.

Michael Calderone at Yahoo! News has the details, including the letters from Fox News Washington managing editor Bill Sammon and Bloomberg executive editor Al Hunt.

FNC’s argument is that the network was promised the seat when Thomas retired, having previously jockeyed for the spot. Even CNN’s Ed Henry supports the move.

“Now that Helen has retired, I’m hopeful the WHCA will make good on those assurances and approve Fox’s long-expected move to that seat,” Sammon wrote. “All five TV networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FNC – now support this move. Even Helen herself is on record saying the seat should go to Fox.”

Bloomberg argues that it has been covering the White House since before Fox News existed.

“We don’t believe the seat should be awarded on the basis of seniority, ideology, tradition (it has been occupied mainly by the wire service) or discussions held three years ago; it’s not something to be conferred,” Hunt wrote. “It should be on merit, the journalistic contribution that the occupant of that valued seat will make to the briefings and to informing the public.”

And there is more, so much more. Check out the Yahoo! News story for the rest.

And don’t forget to vote in our poll, asking whether FNC should get the seat.

This story appeared on the mediabistro.com Morning Newsfeed. Click here to subscribe and get the morning’s media news in your inbox.

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.