Posted on 06/27/2024 12:37:35 PM PDT by JSM_Liberty
WHCA statement on press access for CNN hosted presidential debate
For weeks, WHCA has advocated for the inclusion of our White House travel pool inside the studio for the presidential debate. Our work has included outreach to the White House, the campaigns of both President Biden and former President Trump and the debate host network CNN.
We appreciate that CNN is providing a television feed of the debate to other networks and will grant access to still photographers from various news outlets to cover the candidates inside the studio. Those are positive actions that WHCA fully supports.
However, WHCA is deeply concerned that CNN has rejected our repeated requests to include the White House travel pool inside the studio. Through conversations and advocacy, we urged CNN to grant access to at least one print pool reporter for the duration of the debate. WHCA has been informed that one print reporter will be permitted to enter the studio during a commercial break to briefly observe the setting. That is not sufficient in our view and diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage. The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the president’s events and his movements on behalf of the American people.
The pool is there for the “what ifs?” in a world where the unexpected does happen. A pool reporter is present to provide context and insight by direct observation and not through the lens of the television production. A pool reporter is an independent observer whose duties are separate from the production of the debate as a news event. The pool reporter works on behalf of the entire White House press corps. Print pool reports are an important part of the historical record. Further, the pool is screened by the US Secret Service and travels with the president on Air Force One so there is no security issue. The Biden campaign told WHCA it supports our request. The Trump campaign told WHCA it would not oppose the inclusion of the White House pool reporter. The Trump campaign has a separate press corps.
Tonight’s debate will have no audience present and includes format rules that can silence candidates’ microphones. We don’t know how this will play out in real time. A pool reporter is there to observe what is said and done when microphones are off or when either candidate is not seen on camera but may speak, gesture, move, or engage in some way.
WHCA believes this principle of coverage matters. The White House travel pool has been included in past presidential debates and we believe that standard of access is essential.
Precedent matters for future debates.
CNN is a good citizen of our association and a vital partner in the daily coverage of the White House press corps. We recognize CNN is investing significant resources to host this debate and we wish them every success.
WHCA respectfully requests that CNN adjust its plan and welcome the White House travel pool print representative to witness the debate in full for the sake of the news cycle, for history and mostly importantly for the American people.
—Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association.
“The Biden campaign told WHCA it supports our request. The Trump campaign told WHCA it would not oppose the inclusion of the White House pool reporter. The Trump campaign has a separate press corps. “
-PJ
some one needs to be there to report the bits CNN will edit out in the 1-2 minute delay (rather than the normal 7 second delay)
CNN replies: GFY. Nobody interferes with our quest to Save Our Democracy.
/Sarc
CNN doesn’t want witnesses when they do their heavily edited BS when Biden drools or stutters like a demented junkie
What a farce.
Typical.
Why not just be dome with it - declare Biden the obvious and overwhelming winner and let everyone go home .....
This event has fraud oozing from it’s pores.
Fake White House, fake vaccine, and a fake president, too. And a bunch of reporters on the scene who initially reported this story as "President Biden getting his COVID booster at the White House" before the release of this photo showed them all to be nothing more than lying @ssholes.
Why Trump would agree to this is beyond me, unless he truly has some 4D chess sh*t lined up.
WHCA needs to be good Soviet citizens and learn to obey their masters.
;-)
I do worry about whatever the WH and CNN have cooked up to take Trump down.
Someone should have a camera on the press room, sharing their reaction live during the debate. Let's see how unbiased they are as they watch and report the debate.
Yes. If President Trump set the rules, the debate would take place in a boxing ring, with the candidates in opposite corners. And have an audience of hundreds, if not thousands watching. A referee in the middle, only purpose to keep the candidates apart. A bell rung for time limit purposes. And a bouncer near the moderators table to punch them when they get out of line. And no winner announced at the end; that is up to the public to decide at election time.
That’s what I was thinking too.
Enemy of my enemy is my friend...another voice calling out CNN bias and arseholery.
Nice...
Good idea
Yea, it’s his arrogance. He thinks he convinced them to do the debate but really they needed a debate just as mich as Trump wanted on. He should have used that as a way to get a more favorable outcome.
The “journalists” want to be “audience” CNN does not want.
Frankly I am fine with no audience in the studio.
TV veiwers don’t need any studio audience reactions to form their own opinions.
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