DOJ Probes ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC Over White House Boycott
(MENAFN) The US Justice Department is examining whether five major television networks broke antitrust law by suspending their White House press pool coverage, media reports said Saturday. The suspension was a response to President Donald Trump’s ban on three news organizations.
The probe targets ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC, which jointly halted coverage after Trump revoked White House credentials in September for journalists from CNN, MSNOW and Politico, according to CBS News.
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events,” the outlet quoted Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington as saying.
“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” she added.
Covington said the department’s Antitrust Division is investigating whether the networks violated federal competition laws.
The five networks announced the suspension in solidarity with the banned outlets, arguing that the public deserved independent information about government activities. They said in a joint statement: “No administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting,”
Trump accused the three outlets of spreading “FAKE NEWS,” while the White House cited national security concerns and alleged violations of professional standards.
The affected organizations then filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions. US District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a temporary restraining order restoring their credentials and later extended it until Tuesday.
Even with credentials reinstated, CNN and Politico reportedly remain barred from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
The probe targets ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC, which jointly halted coverage after Trump revoked White House credentials in September for journalists from CNN, MSNOW and Politico, according to CBS News.
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events,” the outlet quoted Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington as saying.
“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” she added.
Covington said the department’s Antitrust Division is investigating whether the networks violated federal competition laws.
The five networks announced the suspension in solidarity with the banned outlets, arguing that the public deserved independent information about government activities. They said in a joint statement: “No administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting,”
Trump accused the three outlets of spreading “FAKE NEWS,” while the White House cited national security concerns and alleged violations of professional standards.
The affected organizations then filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions. US District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a temporary restraining order restoring their credentials and later extended it until Tuesday.
Even with credentials reinstated, CNN and Politico reportedly remain barred from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
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