Five major US television networks have stopped their joint coverage of President Donald Trump\u2019s events after CNN, MSNBC and Politico journalists were blocked from entering the White House, in protest against restrictions on the media.<\/p>\n
The coordinated move took place on Monday, Sept. 30. Under a shared system involving Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, the networks take turns covering the president\u2019s events and travels and provide footage to other media outlets.<\/p>\n
But after CNN journalists were barred from White House events, the other four networks said they would not replace the network. As a result, the usual arrangement for joint television coverage of Trump\u2019s events was suspended.<\/p>\n
Fox News reported that the confrontation began on Friday, when Trump announced that CNN, MSNBC and Politico would be denied entry to the White House. He accused the outlets of publishing \u201cfake news\u201d and cited their coverage of his administration as the reason for the decision.<\/p>\n
According to the report, journalists from the three outlets were stopped on Saturday as they tried to enter the White House grounds, and their credentials were confiscated. The following day, when it was CNN\u2019s turn in the joint television rotation, the other networks refused to step in, in solidarity with the outlet.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement released by Fox News, the five networks said: \u201cThe public has a vital interest in having accurate and independent information about their government. No administration should penalize a news organization because it disagrees with its coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bryan Boughton, Fox News Washington bureau chief, also said: \u201cEffective immediately, the White House television pool will not cover the president\u2019s designated events.\u201d He added that \u201cno replacement pool\u201d would be formed for CNN.<\/p>\n
At the same time, CNN, MSNBC and Politico said they would sue the Trump administration. The three outlets said canceling their reporters\u2019 credentials and blocking access to the president\u2019s events, without prior notice and due process, violated their rights under the First Amendment to the US Constitution.<\/p>\n
Trump responded on social media, writing that the White House was not attacking press freedom but rather fighting what he described as \u201cfake news.\u201d He also accused the banned outlets of publishing \u201ccorrupt, deliberate and coordinated\u201d reports and claimed the situation was \u201ca threat to national security.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision meant Trump\u2019s trip to New York for the UN General Assembly also went ahead without independent television coverage from the five main networks. In response, the White House continued to broadcast the president\u2019s remarks on its own channels and this morning announced the launch of a new channel called \u201cTrump TV.\u201d The White House is the main seat of the US presidency, and media access to its events is considered part of the normal system of public oversight of government performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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