Gallery staff track floor action, tally votes, and coordinate coverage of Senate news conferences and hearings.
[5] The advent of Penny Press in the 1830s disrupted this system, as it relied on sales rather than patronage from a political party for the support of newspapers.
The galleries also maintain Capitol workspace for correspondents, and coordinate coverage for news conferences, hearings, and other congressional events.
It also maintains journalistic integrity, as the rules agreed upon by the gallery members reflect commonly held professional norms and standards of the news industry.
[11] In order to gain membership in the Daily Press Gallery, applicants must be “bona fide correspondents of repute in their profession”.
[11] They must be full-time, paid correspondents of recognized news organizations in a position that requires on-site access to Senate and House members and staff.
[11] Additionally, applicants must reside in the Washington, D.C. area, and “must not be engaged in any lobbying or paid advocacy, advertising, publicity or promotion work for any individual, political party, corporation, organization, or agency of the U.S. government.”[11] Although the Standing Committee of Correspondents is responsible for accreditation decisions, the Senate press gallery office acts as a liaison between the committee and the journalists, processing applications, supporting materials, or fees submitted by journalists.