On Saturday, a gunman attempted to gain entry into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which featured the presence of President Donald Trump and members of his administration. The ensuing fracas inside and outside the ballroom prompted journalists at the gala to ditch whatever they were eating and drinking and start capturing the unfolding events in real time.
This included CNN journalists like the network’s longtime anchor Wolf Blitzer, who recounted how he was just a few feet away from the gunman, heard the gunshots, and was shielded by a policeman, who then took him and others to the men’s bathroom, where they took shelter.
Eric Hall, a CNN executive producer overseeing the network’s on-air coverage on Saturday night, anchored by John Berman and Laura Coates, told TVNewser that Blitzer was one of the many journalists who called into the control room to share what had happened that evening. The network, which was on a commercial break, dumped out of it at 8:35 p.m. ET and began its rolling breaking news coverage.
For our latest 5 Questions for… series, Hall and CNN’s technical production manager, David Foote, describe what was happening inside the CNN control room during the event. Here’s how they reacted when what was supposed to be a light-hearted affair quickly turned into a breaking news situation:
1. During a typical WHCD, what happens in the control room?
Hall: Typical WHCD coverage follows a scheduled event, with the most unpredictable moments being how far a comedian’s or the president’s roasts/jokes go, and analyzing accordingly.
Foote: Typically, it is a relaxed event, with the first part focused on the red carpet & other arrivals, including the president. Once the event starts, we put a pool feed on our air and follow the show.
2. From your vantage point, what was the first indication that something was wrong?
Hall: We were in the middle of a commercial break when we saw commotion in the room and people ducking. We broke out instantly, and Laura and John narrated live with only their eyes in real time.
Foote: The production manager in the control room heard a producer yell into the remote production conference bridge that they heard gunshots. She yelled to everyone in the control room that shots were fired near the dinner. The team on site evacuated to safety.
3. What happened next?
Hall: Brian Stelter smartly called in with his WebEx to give us the only eyes and ears of a first-person, ground-level eyewitness view of the room. From there, Kaitlan Collins, Wolf Blitzer, and a long list of CNN eyewitnesses called in to share what they saw. It was an amazing team effort to share the moment with viewers in real time.
