Justice Department investigates major TV networks over White House press pool boycott

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC violated antitrust laws by briefly halting coverage of President Trump in September.

The Justice Department confirmed on Saturday that it is examining whether a temporary suspension of the White House television press pool constituted an illegal group boycott under the Sherman Act. According to NBC News, the department issued civil investigative demands on Friday to the five major networks that share the responsibility of recording and distributing footage of presidential activities.

Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington stated that group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate federal law. She clarified that the Antitrust Division is investigating to determine if these organizations breached those statutes. CBS News reported that it remains unclear how the government is defining the brief suspension as monopolistic behavior or a violation of fair competition.

The investigation follows a mid-September incident where the networks ceased presidential coverage after the Trump administration barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. At the time, the networks issued a joint statement arguing that no administration should restrict a news organization based on its reporting. The suspension occurred during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as noted by CBS News.

While ABC News stated it expects to receive notification of the probe, representatives for NBC, CBS, and CNN declined to comment to the media. Jose Zamora of the Committee to Protect Journalists criticized the move, telling Deutsche Welle that the government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate outlets that are defending press access.

Background

The dispute began on September 21 when the White House revoked credentials for three outlets, claiming reporting was 'fake news' and citing national security concerns. The barred organizations sued the administration, and a U.S. District Judge ordered their access reinstated on September 24.