US TV networks suspend Trump pool coverage after White House blocks CNN

Major US television networks have suspended their shared coverage of President Donald Trump’s events after the White House blocked CNN from carrying out its scheduled duties, escalating a dispute between the administration and news organisations.

The television pool, comprising ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC, will not provide coverage of presidential events designated for pool access, Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who is serving as the consortium’s acting chair, told members on Monday, according to media reports.

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The networks have also decided against deploying a replacement crew for Trump’s planned trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Under the longstanding arrangement, the broadcasters take turns filming presidential events and sharing the live footage with other media organisations when access is limited.

The decision followed the White House’s move to prevent CNN from carrying out its scheduled pool assignment after President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds. Trump announced the restrictions on Friday, accusing the outlets of negative coverage and “fake news”.

Reporters from the three organisations were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, and their hard-pass press credentials were confiscated.

In a joint statement, the five television networks said, “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.”

Boughton told pool members that there would be no replacement for CNN’s scheduled assignment. Other pool operations, including coverage of Congress, VIPs and selected events in Washington and elsewhere, will continue as normal, according to an email cited in reports.

The standoff intensified on Monday when CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration. The organisations are seeking a temporary restraining order and argue that the restrictions amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and violate First Amendment protections.

In a joint statement, the three organisations said they were suing to “protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”

Also Read: MS NOW, CNN and Politico say their journalists were denied access to White House after Trump ban

Trump has rejected allegations that his administration is undermining press freedom.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” Trump wrote on social media.

Defending the decision to bar the outlets from the White House, Trump had earlier said that if they wanted to publish negative stories, “I don't have to let them into the people's house.”

The suspension of shared television pool coverage means that the usual broadcast video feed for several of Trump’s presidential events will not be provided through the five-network arrangement. The dispute comes as the administration’s restrictions on selected media organisations face a legal challenge in federal court.