DOJ Antitrust Probe of TV Networks Draws Backlash as Press Advocates Warn of Intimidation
The U.S. Justice Department's announcement of an antitrust investigation into five major television networks continued to draw reaction on Saturday. Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists' regional director of the Americas, criticized the probe on social media, saying, "The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access. The public's right to know depends on that access." None of the five networks had formally responded as of late Saturday.
Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington told CBS News on Saturday that "members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws." The New York Times was first to report the probe; the networks under investigation are ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News.
The investigation stems from last month's White House decision to revoke the credentials of reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW. The outlets sued, alleging retaliation against their coverage. The five television networks briefly suspended White House pool coverage in protest before reinstating coverage of President Trump. The five are the primary members of the White House television pool, which shares the costs of covering the president, takes turns organizing coverage and shares footage.
USA Today also reported that on the same day the television pool halted coverage, outlets with still photographers in the White House pool, including Reuters, Getty Images, The New York Times and the Washington Post, agreed not to publish or distribute any photos taken on Sept. 21 until midnight.
A federal judge previously issued a restraining order requiring the White House to reinstate the three outlets' press passes for two weeks; that order expires Tuesday, and a final decision in the case is still pending. Legal and media experts warn that deploying antitrust tools in a fight over White House reporting access could have a chilling effect on press freedom, and the situation continues to develop.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部大楼。摄影：Pelajanela，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
