Argentina’s presidency is considering a seemingly contentious plan to let voters pick which journalists can cover President Javier Milei’s events – while also floating the idea of a “mute” button to silence persistent reporters.
Asked Wednesday about the rumored mute button in the press room, Milei’s spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, initially denied it before saying that it “wouldn’t be bad.”
“When you go a bit too far, I’d press the button – especially when you don’t want to hand over the mic,” he said. “When you repeat your question so many times that even your colleagues think you’re hogging time, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Switching to a more serious tone, Adorni confirmed that Milei’s administration is planning “some changes” to press access at the presidential palace.
For example, he said, “We are thinking about a system where journalists (from the presidential press pool) are elected by the people.”
A vote, he added, would ensure “that people feel represented.”
On Wednesday evening, he returned to the theme on the social network X, asking: “Who would you like to see leave the (press) room? Who would you like to see in it? Coming soon.”
The proposals have drawn comparisons to plans by President Donald Trump – who, like Milei, has an adversarial relationship with the press – to shake up media access to the White House.
Last month, the White House said that in the future it would decide which journalists receive accreditation to cover Trump’s events, rather than an association of media outlets that has handled the process for about a century.
Accusing traditional media of “lies,” Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, also announced plans to add a seat for “new media” in the White House briefing room.
Like Trump, the libertarian Milei has bypassed traditional media to communicate directly with voters on social media, where his message is often amplified by online supporters.
In his 15 months in power, he hasn’t held a single press conference.
