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White House TV pool suspends coverage of Trump events over ban on CNN, others
White House television pool members, including FOX News, ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC, have announced their suspension of coverage of US president Donald Trump, after the president banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from covering the White House over what he called “fake news”.
The TV pool members have long taken turns covering the president and sharing footage. CNN whose turn it was to cover the White House on Monday was however unable to, due to the ban.
FOX News, ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC announced in a joint statement on Monday, their agreement to suspend coverage of the president over the development.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the statement read.
Meanwhile CNN, MS NOW and Politico had earlier announced a plan to file a lawsuit against Trump over the ban.
“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 affected news outlets said in a joint statement.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting.
“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference,” the statement added.
Trump on Monday, wrote on Truth Social that he was not going after the “free press” but after “fake news”.
“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.
“It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
Trump had said on Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called “fake news”.
The president threatened that more of such news outlets would receive similar prohibition.
The US president had long criticised several media outlets over false reportage and their knack for truth distortion in favour of the Left.
He has maintained that these news outlets deliberately disinform the public about his office, programs and policies, in order to cast him in a negative light.
He had in the past filed several lawsuits against news organizations, while calling out individual reporters in person or over social media.
