Networks Suspend White House TV Pool After Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, Politico

The five TV networks that share White House pool duty pulled the plug on pool coverage of President Trump after the administration blocked CNN from its assigned rotation, escalating a fight that now has a lawsuit attached.

What happened

White House television pool members Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News announced Monday they have agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump after he banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing the three outlets of publishing “fake news.”

Monday had been CNN’s turn to serve as White House pool representative. The pool members have long taken turns covering the president and sharing footage.

“This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the president,” read a message from Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who is currently chairing the pool. “This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”

Why it matters for coverage

The suspension of the TV news pool means that, for the time being, no major television network will provide coverage of Trump’s events, including his scheduled appearances Monday at the White House and his visit to the United Nations in New York City.

The system, which has remained mostly unchanged for decades, lets a single TV crew provide coverage for many news organizations when space or access is limited, making CNN’s exclusion consequential beyond its own newsroom. Presidential coverage is also costly, with multi-day trips costing tens of thousands of dollars for the news outlets involved.

After the networks announced that there would be no pool, the White House directed users to live stream updates on its app, which it labeled as “Trump TV.”

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The lawsuit angle

CNN, Politico and MS NOW announced that they were filing a lawsuit against Trump and other members of the administration, claiming First Amendment retaliation and violation of due process. The lawsuit seeks a restoration of journalists’ access and credentials.

Past efforts by the Trump administration to ban outlets and individual journalists have been blocked by federal judges. That precedent is likely to shape how quickly the current standoff resolves.

The joint statement

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the five networks said in a joint statement Monday. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”

Print, photo and radio pool coverage is scheduled to continue, as well as secondary TV poolers.

Options market and stocks to watch

Media parents are the direct read. Any headline risk from a prolonged standoff, or a court ruling, could move the tape.

• WBD — Warner Bros. Discovery owns CNN and is at the center of the ban and the lawsuit.
• PARA — Paramount owns CBS News, a signatory to the joint statement.
• CMCSA — Comcast owns NBC News, also part of the coordinated suspension.
• FOXA — Fox Corp. is notable given Fox News chairs the pool and joined the blackout.
• DIS — Disney owns ABC News, rounding out the five networks involved.

Watch for follow-on news on court filings and any White House response that changes credentialing rules.

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