Several major US media organisations have suspended their shared coverage of President Donald Trump, in a protest against restrictions placed on three news outlets by the White House.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW were barred from the White House after Trump accused them of publishing what he called “fiction or lies” about his administration. The three organisations have rejected the move and filed a lawsuit against the administration in a US federal court.
The outlets said their reporters lost access without notice or a proper process. They argued that allowing the government to decide which journalists can report from the White House could threaten press freedom and the public’s access to independent reporting.
The dispute has also affected how US television networks cover presidential events.
Major broadcasters suspended their participation in the television press pool on Monday. The pool allows news organisations to share video and other material from presidential events, reducing costs and the number of journalists and cameras needed at each event.
The decision meant there was no network television footage of Trump leaving for New York or arriving there for the United Nations General Assembly.
The White House also streamed Trump’s remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Marine One helipad. However, his comments could not be heard clearly during the online broadcast.
The White House has since launched its own 24-hour streaming service, known as Trump TV, featuring clips of the president.
Other major news organisations, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, also said they would not share still photographs from some Trump events.
Trump later appeared before television cameras after meeting New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He dismissed the boycott and pointed to the large number of journalists still covering him.
The lawsuit by CNN, Politico and MS NOW is now expected to become part of a wider legal and political dispute over media access to the Trump administration and the limits of government control over White House press coverage.
