By Betty Kaldas
On Friday, Sept. 18, President Donald J. Trump announced that effective immediately, CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House. According to Trump’s post on Truth Social, the reason behind banning the three news outlets is due to the publishing of “fake news” regarding the president.
“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” CNN network said in a statement Friday afternoon. “Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”
The banning went into effect the next day, with reporters and journalists from both Politico and CNN being denied entry to the White House grounds on Saturday morning. Upon arriving to do their jobs, their passes which granted them access were confiscated and they were turned away. The outlets have officially filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for violations of the First and Fifth Amendment, indicating that they will do everything in their power to defend their news outlet and the journalists representing them.
“Our colleague Cheyenne Haslett attempted to enter the White House to do her job as a Politico reporter. Secret Service denied her entry to the complex and confiscated the pass that allows her access to the White House,” Politico editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger wrote in an email on Saturday. “We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”
The White House press pool is a system which was created under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s term. In order to cover all events, meetings and announcements that take place at the White House, an established schedule has been used for decades, and it involves five major broadcasting networks: ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News and CNN. Publications and networks take turns and follow a daily schedule, sharing information, photos and video footage to the wider press corps.
CNN was on Saturday’s press pool, but was consequently removed from the schedule following the ban, leaving events that occurred on Saturday uncovered. Trump banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be the first time in decades that the press pool has been disturbed.
“This is not business as usual. What’s happening right now is different. The latest threat against our cherished freedoms, protected by the U.S. Constitution.” said MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander in a special report on Saturday evening.
In response to their colleagues being banned, Fox News pulled themselves out of the coverage pool, resulting in ABC News, CBS News and NBC News doing the same. The once crowded press box typically filled with reporters and broadcasting equipment is empty for the first time.
“The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich said in a statement.
The case is left ongoing as news publications and media outlets stand with CNN, MS NOW and Politico during their times of uncertainty for the journalists of the press.
“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably.” said Heinrich.
