Major US news networks face probe over White House coverage boycott
The investigation into the "group boycott" of White House events comes after a series of clashes between the Trump administration and major news organisations.
The US Justice Department is probing whether five major US television networks - ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News - violated federal antitrust laws by boycotting the White House coverage, according to a report by Reuters. The department initiated the investigation after all five networks suspended covering the White House in solidarity with reporters whose credentials were revoked.
The networks, which share the costs of covering the president and pool the footage for other outlets, decided to halt their reporting following the White House's denial of credentials to three news organisations. The Justice Department stated that group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. However, no formal accusations of wrongdoing have been made against the networks.
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