America’s escalating battle over White House press access has entered unfamiliar legal territory, with the Justice Department investigating five major television networks to determine whether their coordinated suspension of presidential coverage amounted to an illegal commercial boycott.
The United States Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News over their decision to temporarily stop providing pooled television coverage of President Donald Trump.
The networks suspended coverage after the White House revoked credentials belonging to reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW.
The Justice Department says it is examining whether the coordinated action among competing broadcasters could constitute a prohibited group boycott under the Sherman Act.
No finding of antitrust liability has been made.
The original press-access dispute had already reached federal court.
On September 24, US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore the reporters’ credentials after concluding that the ban was likely unconstitutional.
The networks nevertheless continued to dispute access to particular presidential events.
The antitrust investigation now creates an unusual collision between competition law and press freedom: whether media competitors acting collectively to defend journalistic access can be scrutinised as commercial actors coordinating their market behaviour.
The five networks had not publicly responded to Reuters’ requests for comment at the time of reporting. Reuters
Related: Agbakoba Urges Media to Test Election Result Rights
behind Games Village, Abuja
5A, CGH, Games Village, Abuja