The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Saturday that it is investigating the decision by the White House press group to stop coverage of President Donald Trump last month. This investigation will examine whether this decision has led to a violation of the country's antitrust laws.
Media Boycott and Antitrust Laws
Emily Cavington, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, stated that group boycotts among competitors in business may conflict with U.S. laws. She added: "The antitrust unit is only looking into whether these news organizations have violated antitrust laws or not."
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Media Response to the Boycott
The news networks under investigation include ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News. Jose Zamora, the regional director of the Committee to Protect Journalists in the Americas, criticized the government's decision to investigate, stating: "The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate the media in defense of access to information. The public's right to know depends on this access."
On September 21, a group of five television networks stopped coverage of the President after the Trump administration barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The government described this action as a "privilege, not a right."
Following this boycott, the five television networks halted coverage in protest of the decision and refused to provide alternative programming. These media outlets also sued the government, accusing it of violating the rights of freedom of speech and the press under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
On September 24, the White House reinstated the press credentials of these networks after a U.S. district judge ordered that their access be "immediately restored and reinstated."
President Trump has consistently referred to mainstream media as "fake news" and has addressed tensions in interviews with reporters.
The White House press group consists of a varying group of media that cover the President and accompany him in official duties.
