US justice department investigates TV networks over Trump pool coverage

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is currently probing several television networks in connection with allegations that they may have violated federal competition laws by suspending their pool coverage of President Donald Trump. Last month, five networks temporarily halted their presidential coverage due to the Trump administration revoking the credentials of reporters from CNN, MSNBC (MS Now), and Politico.

The Justice Department requested ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News to provide communications related to the media pool and stated that the boycott could potentially breach the Sherman Act, a law that prohibits monopolistic business practices. Pool members typically share their material with the broader media. A DoJ spokesperson clarified, "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws."

The television networks have yet to respond to the inquiry. Earlier this month, President Trump barred CNN, MSNBC (MS Now), and Politico from the White House after accusing the outlets of publishing "fiction or lies" about his administration. The White House later reinstated their access following a judge's ruling. These three outlets had previously sued the Trump administration, contending that the restricted access infringed upon their First Amendment rights, which generally prevent the government from restricting media freedom based on the content of their reporting.

The First Amendment bars the government from "abridging" the press's freedom – a principle courts have historically applied to prevent discriminatory government actions against the media based on their coverage. The Trump administration has undertaken multiple legal actions against news organizations in the US, including lawsuits over coverage of the president.

In February, the White House announced it was taking control of the press pool, which has historically been managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association, and moved to restrict Associated Press (AP) reporters and photographers from restricted areas such as the Oval Office or Air Force One due to the outlet's usage of the term "Gulf of Mexico" instead of "Gulf of America." AP has filed a lawsuit and the case is still pending.