White House reporters group bans conservative outlet from briefings for allegedly breaking rules

The One America News Network, a conservative cable TV news outlet, has been barred from covering the White House news briefing for allegedly violating the White House Correspondents' Association’s rules on social distancing.

The WHCA, a self-governing group of reporters that sets rules for covering the White House, said it made the decision Wednesday night after at least one of the network’s reporters allegedly attended the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings despite not being scheduled to cover the events.

The decision also follows President Trump recently answering several questions from OANN reporters during briefings, in which reporters from the major TV networks typically ask most of the questions. 

The WHCA has limited the number of reporters covering such events to 15 to comply with coronavirus social-distancing guidelines by rotating in and out reporters from the many news outlets trying to cover the White House.

"We did this because a reporter for this outlet twice attended press briefings in contravention of this policy," the WHCA board said late Wednesday. "We do not take this action lightly. This is a matter of public safety."

One of the OANN reporters in question, Chanel Rion, who attended the briefings Tuesday and Wednesday and the network reportedly say they received special permission from the White House to cover the briefings.