White House Correspondents’ Association Protests After CNN Limits In-Studio Print Pool Access During Duration Of Biden-Trump Debate
UPDATED, with CNN comment: The White House Correspondents’ Association is urging CNN to allow at least one print pool reporter inside the studio for the duration of tonight’s presidential debate, after the network rejected previous requests.
When President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump debate at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, they will do so without any audience. Most reporters credentialed to cover the event will be in a press area in a separate building, watching the proceedings like the rest of the country.
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The network is allowing some still photographers in the studios, according to the WHCA. The network also will allow a print reporter in the room during a commercial break to capture the setting. But WHCA President Kelly O’Donnell said 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,” she wrote, noting that the Biden campaign supports the request and the Trump team said that they would not oppose it.
CNN issued a statement saying, “As proud member of the White House Correspondents Association, we respect the role the organization plays and their support for press freedom and access. CNN’s Presidential Debate is being held without an audience in a CNN studio and is closed to press.” The network then reiterated the access it was providing — to a “tight pool of photographers” during the event, and a print pool reporter during the first commercial break. But it did not explain why it would not allow a print pool reporter in the studio during the duration of the event.
O’Donnell said in the statement, “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.”
She added, “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.”
A print pooler was allowed in the venue when the debates were sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the non partisan group that had organized the general election events since 1988. Those debates also had been held in front of an audience, typically on college campuses.
Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, wrote on X/Twitter, “White House reporters constantly press organizations hosting the president to allow us access wherever he goes. That’s our job. The notion that we would be stiffed by a news organization is pretty mind-boggling.”
O’Donnell’s complete statement is below:
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.
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