US Justice Department investigates five TV networks over suspended White House pool coverage

The US Justice Department is investigating five television networks over their suspension of pool coverage of President Donald Trump. The networks are ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News.

On Saturday, a Justice Department spokesperson said the department's Antitrust Division is investigating whether the networks violated antitrust laws. The department said a group boycott by the networks could violate the Sherman Act, the federal antitrust law.

The five networks make up the primary White House television pool. They share the costs of covering the president, take turns organizing coverage and share footage with other outlets.

In September, the networks suspended pool coverage after the Trump administration barred or withdrew the credentials of reporters from CNN, MS Now and Politico. They refused to provide replacement coverage during the suspension. According to DW, the suspension began on 21 September.

CNN, MS Now and Politico sued the administration. On 24 September, the White House reinstated their access after a federal judge ordered it to do so. According to Al Jazeera, the judge was US District Judge Timothy Kelly. Al Jazeera reported that he ruled the ban was likely unconstitutional. It also reported that disputes over access to specific events and pool assignments continued afterwards.

According to the BBC, the department asked the five networks to hand over communications related to the pool. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the legal form, scope or deadline of that request. Reuters said The New York Times reported the investigation on Saturday, citing six people with knowledge of the department's action.

The reports do not include any response from the networks or White House comment on the investigation. They do not describe what evidence, if any, the department has that the networks coordinated rather than acted individually.

According to the BBC, the White House announced in February that it was taking control of the press pool. The White House Correspondents' Association had managed it for more than a century.

What is disputed

DW gives the spokesperson's surname as Covington. Al Jazeera spells it Convington. Al Jazeera quoted the spokesperson as saying: "Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act." DW paraphrased the statement, saying such boycotts among business competitors might violate US law.

What each side says

• Justice Department: Al Jazeera quoted the spokesperson as saying: "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws."
• White House: It has said covering the president is a "privilege – not a right", according to Al Jazeera, which dates the statement to 19 September.
• Donald Trump: The BBC quoted him as accusing CNN, MS Now and Politico of writing "fiction or lies" about his team.
• CNN, MS Now and Politico: They argued their exclusion violated First Amendment press rights and was retaliation for their coverage.
• Committee to Protect Journalists: In a post on X quoted by DW, Jose Zamora wrote: "The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access." He added: "The public's right to know depends on that access."

Analysis

The investigation raises a question that the reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not answer: whether the networks' suspension was a coordinated decision or separate choices made at the same time. That distinction may matter under antitrust law. Supporters of the inquiry may see it as routine scrutiny of competitors acting together. Press freedom groups, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, see a risk of pressure on outlets defending access. Possible outcomes range from the inquiry closing without action to formal legal steps. The reports do not describe penalties or next procedural steps, so its direction remains unclear.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.