AP Takes Thomas's White House Seat, Fox Moves To Front Row

The White House Correspondents’ Association announced over the weekend that the front row, center seat held by retired columnist Helen Thomas in the White House briefing room will be filled by the Associated Press. Fox News, a contender for the seat, will move from the second row to the first, taking AP’s old position.

“It was a very difficult decision,” the Association said in a statement released Sunday. “We urge members to view seating room changes as an ongoing process that will be revisited again as our industry evolves.”

NPR, who with Bloomberg News also vied for Helen Thomas’s spot, will be filling Fox’s seat in the second row. The changes go into effect Monday, August 2nd.