DOJ launches antitrust investigation into major TV networks over halted White House coverage
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The Justice Department is probing whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News violated antitrust law by collectively stopping presidential coverage after the White House withdrew their credentials.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Saturday that it is investigating a group of television networks for a possible breach of federal antitrust statutes after they collectively ceased coverage of President Donald Trump last month. Justice Department spokesperson Emily Convington said the inquiry will examine whether the coordinated action constitutes a group boycott prohibited by the Sherman Act.
The networks under review include ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News, which together form the primary White House television pool that shares reporting costs and footage. The pause in coverage followed a White House decision to revoke the press credentials of three outlets, including CNN, prompting the pool to suspend reporting in solidarity.
A federal judge later ordered the administration to restore the credentials, deeming the ban likely unconstitutional, but disputes over access to specific events have persisted. The Justice Department said the Antitrust Division is “simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ Americas director, Jose Zamora, criticized the investigation, stating that the government should not use antitrust probes to pressure news outlets defending press access.