Five leading American television networks have suspended their shared video coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC said the television press pool would no longer cover events designated for pooled presidential coverage. The decision does not mean the networks have stopped reporting on Trump entirely. It applies to the system through which they jointly record and distribute video of presidential events.
The action followed the removal of the three organisations’ journalists from the White House grounds and the confiscation of their press passes.
How the television pool works
The five networks normally take turns supplying camera crews to cover the president. The footage and audio are then distributed to other broadcasters and news organisations that cannot all attend restricted events.
According to an Associated Press report, the television pool informed its subscribers that there would be no network pool coverage of the president’s events from Monday.
The networks said the public had a strong interest in receiving accurate and independent information about the government. They also argued that an administration should not restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting.
Print journalists, photographers, radio correspondents and wire services have continued covering the administration, although some organisations have taken separate steps in support of the banned outlets.
Why the three organisations were banned
Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be denied White House access after accusing them of publishing “fake news” and unfavourable reports about his administration.
The White House has defended its authority to decide which journalists may enter its premises, describing access as a privilege rather than an automatic right.
However, the affected organisations argue that the administration cannot withdraw access because it dislikes their editorial coverage.
Reuters reported that CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit against Trump and other administration officials on Monday. The organisations said the ban violated the First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press.
The lawsuit seeks to restore their journalists’ access to the White House.
Press freedom dispute deepens
The White House Correspondents’ Association has also criticised the decision. Its president, Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, said access should not be withdrawn arbitrarily or because of the content of a news organisation’s reporting.
The dispute is the latest confrontation between the Trump administration and the American media. During Trump’s previous term, courts intervened after the White House withdrew access from individual journalists.
The current action is broader because it affects three news organisations and has prompted the major television networks, including Fox News, to respond collectively.
The suspension of pooled video coverage could reduce the amount of independent footage and clear audio available from some presidential events. The White House may still distribute its own recordings, while individual news organisations can continue reporting through journalists who retain access.
It remains unclear how long the television pool suspension will continue or whether the pending legal action will lead to the reinstatement of the three organisations.
