Five major US television networks have suspended pooled coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House prevented CNN from carrying out its scheduled pool duties following a ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC have traditionally rotated responsibility for providing television coverage of presidential events, sharing the costs and distributing the footage to other news organisations.
CNN had been scheduled to provide pooled television coverage of Trump’s travel to the United Nations General Assembly, but was prevented from carrying out the assignment.
The television pool subsequently announced that it would stop covering events designated as presidential pool coverage and that no replacement network would be assigned.
The five networks said in a joint statement that the public has an interest in receiving accurate and independent information about the government and argued that an administration should not restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting.
The development follows Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from the White House after accusing the organisations of what he described as “fake news” and deliberately negative reporting.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to restore their White House access.
The three organisations argue that the decision violates their First Amendment rights and amounts to unlawful discrimination based on their reporting.
The Trump administration disputes that position and maintains that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right.
Trump has also defended the decision, saying his administration is not attacking press freedom but is targeting what he describes as “fake news”.
The legal challenge has been assigned to US District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington.
Source: Fox News
