OAN anchor Chanel Rion moves to create alternative White House press association

One America News (OAN) host Chanel Rion urged the incoming Trump administration to approve alternatives to the White House Correspondent Associations (WHCA) to break the organization's control of the White House briefing room. Rion, a former White House correspondent during President Donald Trump's first term, filed to charter two organizations that would admit members to the briefing room who support conservative and independent reportage and media: the National White House Correspondents' Association (NWHCA) and its auxiliary, the United States White House Correspondents' Association (USWHCA), documents show.

Rion said that the WHCA claims to be a "defender of the free press" but "blocks and hinders diverse press views in order to favor their friends in corporate-old media."

Rion, who was ousted from the Brady S. Press Briefing room by WHCA in 2020, believes that the formation of these new organizations would end the "hoax news and fake news culture by mass media inside the White House."

"For too long Americans have resented mass media's control of their news, entertainment and culture. Many new media operators are changing things and the total audience of new media has now eclipsed mass media. These will comprise our own base of new media members and citizen journalists and White House correspondents who will believe in America's greatness and President Trump's many achievements which the WHCA's private club denies and bitterly shuns," Rion said in a letter outlining the formation of her new organizations, adding, "The WHCA's old boys' clubs are done."

At the moment, the WHCA oversees many aspects of White House press operations, and “has sole authority over membership in Print pools: in-town, domestic travel and foreign travel pools, and the supplemental pool. All poolers, including approved supplemental poolers, can volunteer when a pooler is needed for the vice president, first lady, VP’s spouse and other events,” per WHCA website.

However, this may be changing, according to a report put out by Axios that said the incoming Trump administration plans on shaking things up for the press. The OAN host said that "a nation in crisis cannot afford private club mannerists excluding diversity of press viewpoints inside the White House."

The newly established NWHCA anticipates the admission of several thousand additional outside media members and the expansion of the White House coverage currently provided by the WHCA's alleged 800 members. The WHCA references the 800-member count, but upon observation at the White House, said Rion, the number translates to approximately 100 tangible members who appear to be actively engaged as correspondents. Rion would lead the NWHCA as the organization's president.