The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into television networks’ decision to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month, according to a report by AP and Reuters carried by Al Jazeera. A department spokesperson said on Saturday 10 October that officials are examining whether the networks violated federal antitrust laws by halting coverage.
What the Department Said
The networks under investigation are ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News, the spokesperson said. “Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” the spokesperson said, adding that the department’s Antitrust Division is investigating to determine whether the news organisations have broken antitrust law. The networks did not immediately comment on the announcement, the report said.
The Background
According to the report, the five outlets make up the primary White House television pool, which shares the costs of covering the president, takes turns organising coverage and shares footage with outlets around the country. The pool stopped presidential coverage last month after the administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The report said all five networks, including Fox News, suspended coverage in solidarity and refused to provide replacement coverage.
The White House said on 19 September that covering the president was a privilege rather than a right, according to the report. The excluded outlets sued, alleging that the exclusions violated the First Amendment and that the administration was retaliating over their coverage. The credentials were reinstated on 24 September after US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the ban was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access, the report said. It added that disputes over access to specific events and pool assignments have continued.
Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ Americas director, criticised the decision to investigate, writing on X that the government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access.
Why It Matters
The case moves a dispute that began as one about press credentials into the realm of competition law. The report said the action puts legal and potentially financial pressure on media organisations over whether to continue covering the president when they disagree with how the White House handles them. The sources reviewed do not say what evidence the department is examining, how long the inquiry may take or whether any charges or penalties are contemplated, and the networks’ own response is still awaited.
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