DOJ investigates TV networks over halt in Trump's White House pool coverage
In short
The Justice Department is investigating whether five television networks violated antitrust law by suspending pooled coverage of President Donald Trump last month. Coverage stopped after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico, and resumed after a judge temporarily restored their access.
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The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether five television networks violated antitrust law when they suspended pooled coverage of President Donald Trump last month. Department spokesperson Emily Covington acknowledged the inquiry on Saturday, saying group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. She said the Antitrust Division was investigating whether the news organizations had violated antitrust laws. The networks that make up the television pool are ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC. [ 3 , 5 , 8 ]
The suspension followed the Trump administration's decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. CNN reported that the pool chair said no replacement pool would be arranged while CNN was prevented from performing its assigned duties. Pooled television coverage stopped for several days. The three barred outlets sued, and a federal judge temporarily restored their access. Television pool coverage has since resumed. The Associated Press reported that the court reprieve remained in place until Tuesday, while CNN said the litigation was ongoing and the Justice Department was defending Trump's action. [ 3 , 5 ]
The television pool is a rotating group of journalists that covers the president and represents the wider press corps. Newsweek described an arrangement in which participating networks share coverage duties and distribute footage to other outlets. The New York Times reported that major networks were notified of the investigation on Friday. CNN said network representatives either declined to comment or did not respond to requests on Saturday night. Jose Zamora of the Committee to Protect Journalists criticized the inquiry, saying the government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate outlets defending press access. CBS News reported that it was not immediately clear how the department was defining the coverage suspension as a Sherman Act violation. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
Why it matters
The inquiry concerns the shared television pool that supplies coverage of the president to other outlets. Press freedom advocates criticized the investigation, while the Justice Department said it was examining whether the networks violated antitrust law.
Key facts
- The Justice Department acknowledged the antitrust investigation on Saturday. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The television pool consists of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC. [ 3 , 5 , 8 ]
- Pooled coverage halted after CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House. [ 3 , 5 , 8 ]
- Television pool coverage resumed after a judge temporarily restored the outlets' access. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the networks violated antitrust law. The department described an investigation; the documents report no finding of a violation.
- How the coverage halt would constitute a Sherman Act violation. CBS News reported that the department's reasoning was not immediately clear.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Times reported that major television networks had been notified of an antitrust inquiry. [ 1 ]
- The Associated Press reported the department's acknowledgment and the resumption of television pool coverage. [ 3 ]
- CBS News published the department's statement about potential Sherman Act violations. [ 8 ]