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Three news outlets to sue Trump over White House ban/Image: Reuters
CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing the Trump administration after journalists are barred from White House, arguing that the move violates their First Amendment rights.The three news organisations notified the administration on Monday that they were taking legal action and asked a federal court in Washington to restore their access.
The case could lead to hearings and arguments over the White House's decision as early as this week.The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump's announcement on Friday that the three outlets would be barred from the White House over coverage he described as negative. Trump also indicated that other news organisations could face similar restrictions.
Reporters denied White House entry
The restrictions were enforced on Saturday when reporters from the three organisations arrived to cover the administration.CNN's Betsy Klein, MS NOW's Akayla Gardner and Politico's Cheyenne Haslett were denied entry to the White House grounds and had their press credentials confiscated, according to reports.CNN and MS NOW have also been prevented from using their television equipment and designated camera locations at the White House. CNN was subsequently removed from its scheduled television pool duties, including coverage involving the president's travel.
The three organisations said the administration revoked their journalists' credentials without notice or a process for challenging the decision."This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes," the outlets said in a joint statement.They added that the action threatened press freedom and the public's access to independent journalism.
First Amendment dispute
At the centre of the case is whether the government can restrict journalists' access to the White House because of the content or viewpoint of their reporting.The outlets are expected to argue that Trump's stated dissatisfaction with their coverage amounts to viewpoint discrimination. Courts have previously considered restrictions on White House press access in cases involving journalists and news organisations.A 1977 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit involved The Nation reporter Robert Sherrill, whose White House press credentials had been revoked. The court held that denying a White House press pass based on the content of a journalist's speech or discriminatory treatment of protected speech could violate the First Amendment, CNN reported.That precedent has featured in later disputes involving White House press access.
During Trump's first presidency, CNN reporter Jim Acosta, Playboy correspondent Brian Karem and The Associated Press also faced restrictions on access, with courts siding with journalists in several cases.Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment lawyer who represented CNN during its 2018 legal dispute with the Trump administration over Acosta's access, is representing the three organisations in the latest case.The administration, meanwhile, has pointed to its authority over access to the White House. At least one Trump administration official has argued that a 1965 Supreme Court ruling concerning passport restrictions could support the president's position.The three news organisations have said they will continue covering the Trump administration despite being denied physical access to the White House.
