DOJ Probes 5 Major TV Networks Over Suspension Of Pool Coverage

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is probing five major television networks for possible antitrust violations following their brief suspension of pool coverage of President Donald Trump last month.

A DOJ spokesperson said on Oct. 10 that the probe would look into whether CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News violated the federal antitrust laws when they halted their presidential pool coverage on Sept. 21 in protest of Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.

The networks resumed coverage a few days later, after the administration reinstated the credentials of the three outlets under a court order.

“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Sherman Act was enacted in 1890, aiming to prevent monopolistic practices and promote competition.

The five networks did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Epoch Times reached out to the DOJ for further details but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

In an Oct. 10 statement, Reporters Committee President Bruce D. Brown accused the Trump administration of trying to obtain “records from the networks about how they are covering daily White House events during a media ban the president himself put in place.”

“The decisions news organizations make about coverage are protected by the First Amendment, and summoning antitrust authority, on top of the retaliatory actions the White House has already taken to bar certain outlets, is another and even more brazen attempt to try to intimidate journalists,” Brown said.

The five broadcast networks make up the White House television pool, which shares responsibility for filming and sharing footage of the president.

Trump announced the ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House on Sept. 18, accusing them of reporting “fake news.”

In a Sept. 22 filing asking the court to deny the outlets’ lawsuit challenging the ban, the DOJ said the three outlets had “failed to maintain basic minimum standards of professionalism and decorum expected to those given access to the White House Complex, including by publishing sensitive or classified information.”

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a 14-day temporary restraining order on Sept. 24, requiring the administration to restore hard pass access for the three outlets. The order was set to expire on Oct. 8, but Kelly extended it through Oct. 13 after the outlets requested a preliminary injunction.

The outlets alleged that the White House has “persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing its ban,” citing its move to exclude CNN from television press pool duties on Sept. 26.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on Sept. 28, a White House official called Trump “the most accessible president in history,” citing his efforts to hold press events, regular gaggle sessions, and interviews, take questions from reporters, and engage with the public through social media posts.

“Even after outlets were given access to the White House, they declined to cover various events, proving this isn’t about access. It’s performative and dishonest,” the official said.