Former Time journalist to be Obama press secretary

WASHINGTON  — A former journalist who built a career covering politics and presidents before joining the White House himself on Thursday became US President Barack Obama's choice as his next press secretary and chief defender.

A broad, weeks-long shakeup of the administration settled into place as Obama sought to rejuvenate and reshape his staff for the rest of his term.

The naming of a new press secretary means Americans will be seeing a new face all over TV coverage and in newspapers on behalf of Obama: Jay Carney, 45, who looks the part but has never done a stint behind any briefing room podium.

He spent two decades as a journalist for Time magazine, including as a White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief, before changing career paths to become US Vice President Joe Biden's communications director in 2008.

The makeup of the White House senior staff has been changing for weeks as Obama throttles into a new phase of his presidency.