The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
Multiple major news networks have announced that they are suspending their White House pool coverage over President Trump’s ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW. Trump on Friday announced that he has banned Politico, CNN, and MS NOW from the White House over “fake news.”
A joint statement from White House television pool members on Monday read, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
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View on XThe White House television pool members are: ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, and NBC News. Per Variety, Trump’s suspension of CNN came as the outlet was scheduled to be the designated TV pool provider for Monday, September 21. The suspension means that no major television network will provide coverage of Trump’s events for the day, including scheduled White House appearances and a visit to the United Nations.
Current TV pool chair and Fox News’ Washington bureau head Bryan Boughton said in an email to other networks, “This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President. This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
Trump announced the ban on Friday, writing, “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them 'alive.' Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!”
MS NOW, CNN, and Politico announced on Monday that they would be suing over the ban. In a joint statement, the three news outlets said that they would be filing a lawsuit to ”protect their First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”
The statement goes on to say that “without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalist’s credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
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