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Reporter Hailed A ‘Patriot' For Defying White House By Live-Streaming Press Briefing

Since June 29, the White House has banned live audio and video coverage of its press briefings.

When the White House started banning live audio and video coverage of press briefings last month, journalists questioned the commitment to transparency of President Donald Trump's administration.

Though disgruntled, reporters have held no boycotts and news outlets have toed the line ― only airing audio from briefings after they've ended, per new White House guidelines.

On Wednesday, however, the first rumblings of rebellion were heard — in the form of two pieces of audio streamed live from the White House by reporter Ksenija Pavlovic, founder and editor-in-chief of Pavlovic Today.

As The Washington Post first reported, Pavlovic used the live video-streaming app Periscope to stream audio from a press briefing held by deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Pavlovic, a former doctoral and teaching fellow at Yale, posted the audio streams to her Twitter page. The first lasted about 17 minutes, while the second was about 31 minutes long.

The sound quality of the recordings is poor, but Sanders can be heard on the stream introducing Marc Short, the director of legislative affairs, before taking questions from the floor.

Pavlovic's recordings are the "first known instance of a reporter disregarding the White House restrictions on recording," according to The Hill.

It remains unclear if Pavlovic will face any repercussions from the White House or whether other reporters will emulate her behavior in future briefings.

On Twitter, several people praised Pavlovic for her "patriotism" and her courage to defy the White House.

"I hope all reporters will follow your lead," tweeted author Jeffrey Guterman.

News outlets had been allowed to air White House briefings live on TV since Bill Clinton's presidency, according to Reuters.

The Trump White House, however, has not held an on-camera press briefing since June 29. Live audio coverage has also been banned.

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