USA: CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump administration over ban on White House access

On 21 September, CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration, after their journalists were banned from the White House. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes this collective response from US news organisations, including the decision of the five television networks responsible for the White House to suspend President Donald Trump's pooled coverage.

US President Donald Trump arrives to participate in a ribbon cutting for the new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. Credits: Jim WATSON / AFP

On 19 September, US President Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House, for allegedly reporting "fiction or lies" about his administration.

The following day, the outlets said their journalists were denied access to the building and had their press passes confiscated.

The three organisations subsequently announced on 21 September that they would sue the Trump administration, describing the selective ban as a "blatant violation" of the First Amendment.

The ban also had direct consequences for the White House television pool. ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News and NBC News rotate responsibility for covering presidential events and share their footage with other news organisations. CNN was scheduled to provide pool coverage of President Trump's departure from the White House on 21 September. However, after the administration prevented CNN from carrying out its assignment, the five networks decided not to replace them andsuspended their pooled coverage.

The Washington Post, The New York Times, AP, Reuters and GettyImages alsoannounced that they would not publish any photographs of the day's presidential events. In response, the White House subsequently launched Trump TV, its own 24/7 streaming service, providing a continuous feed of clips of the President.

"I applaud these news organizations for pushing back immediately against Trump's illegal behavior," said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. "This is yet again another shameful moment for our country. Trump doesn't get to decide who covers the 'people's house.' The First Amendment includes a free press so that tyrants wouldn't be allowed to control what the public sees or hears."

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "The right to report cannot depend on whether a government approves of a journalist's coverage. Today it is CNN's turn, but tomorrow it could be another network. This is an attack on press freedom but also on the public's right to know about information of public interest. We welcome the great solidarity shown by the five pool broadcasters, who have decided not to allow the exclusion of one newsroom to undermine the principle of fair access for all journalists."

The IFJ reiterates its call on the Trump administration to immediately stop its relentless assault on press freedom by deliberately attacking, discriminating against, andundermining journalists' work.