CNN Reporter Defies Media Ban at GOP Rally by Renting Adjacent Hotel Room
CNN Senior National Correspondent Kyung Lah and her cameraman Ronnie McCray, Jr. are more clever than Pennsylvania GOP rally organizers took them for.
Told “no press allowed” at the weekend rally for Republican gubernatorial primary candidate Doug Matriano at a Uniontown, Pennsylvania hotel pool, the defiant duo went to higher ground. Rather than pack up and call it a day, they checked into a balcony suite for $85 and got the job done with a bird’s-eye-view.
Why am I, w/@CNN PJ @RonnieMcCrayJr, on this balcony? This is @dougmastriano's rally in Uniontown, PA. The campaign said we could attend, then said no press allowed. So… I rented this room w/a balcony just so we could cover a leading contender for #PAGov w/the primary 1 wk away pic.twitter.com/pDi96GTvh8
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) May 9, 2022
“Mastriano’s campaign threatened to kick us out, saying they controlled all the space in the hotel,” Lah tweeted in a thread from the rally. “Not so. They were unhappy we stayed. Why do this? Bc independent press needs to see what your future government reps want to do.”
Their presence did not go unnoticed.
Balcony rooms on our side were available for about $85. It's important to cover candidates. We'll continue to do that at @CNN. pic.twitter.com/O9a0sbw7ME
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) May 9, 2022
In this case, Lah was the pool reporter, and also the pool reporter.
It’s a great lesson for young journalists everywhere: There is no failure, only giving up.
