Summary After cameras were banned CNN turned to it's sketch artist Bill Hennessy
(Web Desk) - The daily White House press briefing turned into a picture show on Friday as CNN send in its court sketch artist to cover the event after the Trump administration prohibited the use of cameras from the briefing.
Bill Hennessy,who normally acts as CNN s sketch artist for Supreme Court proceedings, went over to the White House on Friday afternoon to draw Press Secretary Sean Spicer s afternoon briefing.Hennessy did not have his usual spot but stood in the back of the briefing room to draw the proceeding. Hennessy, who has been a Washington-based courtroom sketch artist for decades, has already covered a wide range of important cases including the Clinton impeachment proceedings and numerous terror suspect trials.
CNN later on featured Hennessey’s sketching on its afternoon proceedings while continually stressing that cameras have not been allowed in the briefing room. While the sketches drew some admiration for CNN,s innovative use of images a few conservative media voices dismissed them as nothing more than a publicity stunt a claim that the channel was quick to refute by stating that the sketches served a journalistic purpose by painting a picture of the proceedings for viewers who were unable to see the video.
The Trump administration has been having problems with the media on the issue of the daily White House press briefings. Sometimes these briefings are not held daily (as customary) and at other times cameras or even audio equipment have not been allowed by the administration into the briefing room. These measures have caused criticisms from members of the press. However Trump’s White House Press Sectary Sean Spicer has defended these procedures.
"Some days we ll do it" on camera, he said. "I think it s great for us to come out here and have a substantive discussion about policies. I don t think that the be all and end all is whether it s on television or not."
