Former 'Daily Show' comedian slams CNN for ‘cowardly’ response to off-camera WH briefings
© Bill Hennessy of CNN

John Hodgman, a former correspondent on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," slammed CNN on Friday over the network's decision to send a courtroom sketch artist to document a White House daily press briefing.

"Stupid. turn the cameras on. get thrown out. do it again the next time. and again. THAT is the story. not your dumb, cowardly life hack," he wrote on Twitter.

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Reporters from CNN and other news outlets have criticized the White House in recent days over the decreasing frequency of on-camera press briefings.

In lieu of on-camera briefings, the White House has held off-camera briefings and gaggles, allowing audio recordings of the sessions. But many journalists have argued that doing so allows Trump administration officials to avoid answering tough questions on live television. 

Audio recordings of the briefings have been played on CNN after the sessions end. 

CNN on Friday sent sketch artist Bill Hennessy, who typically illustrates Supreme Court sessions, to the White House briefing room to memorialize the day's briefing. 

That move was greeted by mixed reviews, with some applauding the network's efforts to sidestep White House demands and others criticizing CNN for not taking a tougher stance for press access.

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