DOJ Launches Antitrust Probe of Five TV Networks Over White House Press Pool Boycott
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on Saturday (Oct. 10) that its Antitrust Division is investigating whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News violated federal antitrust law when they collectively suspended their White House press pool coverage last month. In a statement released Saturday, DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington said group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act, adding that the division is investigating whether the news organizations broke the law.
The probe was first reported by The New York Times on Saturday. According to The Wall Street Journal, the networks learned of the investigation on Friday (Oct. 9), with Justice Department officials seeking records of communications among them regarding the pool. CNN reported that as of Saturday night, the five networks had either declined to comment or had not responded to requests for comment.
The dispute stems from President Trump's Sept. 18 announcement banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House complex over their coverage, followed by the revocation of their reporters' credentials. On Sept. 21, the five networks announced they would suspend pooled coverage in solidarity, leaving White House events without pooled TV coverage for several days. On Sept. 24, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to reinstate the outlets' press passes; that litigation remains pending.
The antitrust inquiry marks a new escalation in the administration's clash with the press. CNN cited a leading First Amendment group calling the probe nonsensical. Two weeks ago, Trump ally Laura Loomer publicly urged the DOJ to challenge the networks on antitrust grounds. Free-press advocates have warned that excluding outlets based on the content of their coverage faces serious constitutional scrutiny in court.
In a joint statement last month, the five networks stressed that no administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting, while the White House maintains that covering the president is a privilege, not a right. The networks have since resumed pool coverage, though the administration has given right-leaning outlets more travel access than before the boycott.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国司法部大楼，APK 摄，CC BY 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）
