WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said it is investigating five major television broadcast networks for potential violations of federal antitrust laws after the networks temporarily refused to provide joint coverage of President Donald Trump, a department spokesperson said.
The investigation into the networks that make up the White House press pool — NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox News — is ongoing, and the department sent “civil investigative requests” on Friday, according to a Justice Department official.
“Members of the television news pool have boycotted coverage of White House events. Group boycotts between business competitors may violate the Sherman Act. The Antitrust Division is simply investigating whether these news organizations violated antitrust laws,” department spokeswoman Emily Covington said Saturday.
The pool is a rotating group of networks that share the task of recording the president’s activities during public appearances and travel. The pool network then distributes information and media, such as video and audio, to other outlets.
The New York Times was first to report the investigation.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ABC News said it had not received any notification from the Justice Department but hoped to receive it. Representatives for NBC, CBS and CNN declined to comment. Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The investigation appears to be the latest move by the White House in its growing feud with the press.
Last month, Trump barred CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House grounds, citing what he called “their constant ‘reporting’ of FAKE NEWS!” » The other networks in the television pool briefly declined to participate in pool duties after CNN was removed from its place in the rotation.
CNN, MS Now and Politico sued the ban, claiming it was a violation of the First Amendment. They were reinstated about a week later after a judge ruled the administration had to temporarily restore their access for 14 days. A federal judge this week extended the order until Tuesday.
The five major networks then issued a joint statement, saying: “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 pool system has been recognized by administrations of both parties for decades, and coverage is used by the pool’s members and subscribers, which include media outlets like Newsmax, One America News Network, C-SPAN and international media outlets.
While media outlets refused to provide pooled coverage, individual television networks, including NBC News, continued to cover White House events open to the press, outside of the pool.
Bruce D. Brown, chairman of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement that the First Amendment protects the decisions news organizations make about reporting, and called the investigation “an even more brazen attempt to intimidate journalists.”
Kelly O’Donnell reported from Washington and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.
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