Focused on reporting the president’s actions and statements, the 13 journalists that make up the press pool can sometimes blend into the background.

The White House’s move to take control of which outlets participate in the press pool is a break from a century of tradition with the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Covering a president as part of the White House press pool dates back to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The pool assignments are done on a rotating basis, which the White House Correspondents Association handled until this week.