In a surprising turn of events, Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD)-owned network CNN has decided to exclude White House pool reporters from the upcoming 2024 presidential debate, sparking considerable controversy.

What Happened: The White House Correspondents' Association expressed deep concern over CNN's decision to exclude White House pool reporters from the studio during the first presidential debate between incumbent President Joe Biden and Republican opponent Donald Trump, Reuters reported.

The press pool, which represents major news organizations, usually has access to any event where the president speaks or appears in public. The WHCA president, Kelly O'Donnell, said that the pool's role is to provide "context and insight by direct observation and not through the lens of the television production."

CNN has only agreed to allow one White House print pool reporter to enter the studio during a commercial break to "briefly observe the setting." The network will also permit still photographers from other outlets to cover the candidates inside the studio and provide a television feed of the debate to other networks.

Why It Matters: The decision to exclude White House pool reporters from the 2024 presidential debate comes at a crucial time in the election cycle. The debate, which is set to be held in a CNN studio without an audience, is a significant event for voters, as highlighted in a recent poll that showed 84% of voters are unlikely to be swayed by the debate. T

The debate takes place amid a close race between Biden and Trump, with the 2024 election betting odds favoring Trump at the time of writing.

Price Action: On Thursday, Warner Bros Discovery shares closed 1.4% higher at $7.35 in the regular session and were largely unchanged in the after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image via Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal