The White House Correspondents’ Association expressed concern that CNN would not allow associate reporters in the debate studio to report and record the candidates’ remarks.
New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin wrote:
EXCLUSIVE: The White House Correspondents’ Association said it was “deeply concerned” that CNN has “rejected our repeated requests to include the White House travel pool in the studio.” Full statement: pic.twitter.com/qe3Y8Austz
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) June 27, 2024
Journalists also requested access but were denied:
news, band@Katie_robertson: A group of senior Washington journalists signed a letter to CNN on behalf of the White House Correspondents’ Association asking the network to expand coverage of tonight’s debate. In the letter: pic.twitter.com/ktTjoooNxm
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) June 27, 2024
With the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates no longer hosting debates, a for-profit media company is now deciding who can participate in a presidential debate that is supposed to be held for the information and benefit of the American people.
Some serious concerns have been raised. The big question is who will transcribe the candidates’ speeches, and will those transcriptions include remarks that appear when the candidates’ microphones are turned off?
For the first time in the history of televised presidential debates, at least in the modern era, there will no longer be independent reporters in the studio to record and confirm content.
CNN (CNN) did not allow other reporters into the debate studio because they wanted to maintain their exclusive coverage. CNN’s decision-makers appear to be putting profits over the public interest, which is why taking the debate out of the hands of a bipartisan committee looks like a very bad idea.
Everything may be going well and there may not be any problems, but the country will be watching a debate without independent oversight and accountability, which seems like a bad deal for democracy.
