Click here to read the full article.
In an unprecedented move, four of the five TV networks that provide White House pool coverage of President Donald Trump — ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Fox News — have joined in solidarity with CNN, which is the fifth
TV pooler, announcing they are suspending coverage of the president because of his ban of CNN.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the five networks said in a joint statement Monday. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
The blackout of White House pool coverage by the networks comes after the Trump administration suspended CNN as the designated TV pool provider on Monday, Sept. 21 — leaving no TV pooler for the day. It also follows CNN, MS NOW and Politico announcing that they are suing Trump and three White House officials over his unilateral ban of the news outlets, alleging it violates the First Amendment.
The suspension of the TV news pool means that, for the time being, no major television network will provide coverage of Trump’s events, including his scheduled appearances Monday at the White House and his visit to the United Nations in New York City.
Bryan Boughton, Fox News’ Washington bureau chief and the current White House TV pool chair, wrote in an email to the other networks Monday, ”This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President. This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
The White House designates secondary TV news pool providers (as well as those for print, radio and new media outlets). However, the secondary TV networks do not have any obligation to provide content to third parties.
Trump said on social media Friday, Sept. 18, that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico “effective immediately” from the White House, citing his familiar allegation that they propagate “fake news.” The White House barred entry to staffers from the three outlets on Saturday and revoked their press passes.
At an Oval Office briefing Friday, Trump indicated that there was no single story that triggered him to ban the news outlets, but was rather a cumulative effect of their “purposely negative” coverage. He also suggested that the New York Times and the Washington Post would be next in line to be barred from the White House.
