The United States Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into five major television networks following their decision to suspend coverage of President Donald Trump in protest over restrictions on White House press access.
Justice Department spokesperson Emily Convington confirmed on Saturday that ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News were under investigation over the coordinated withdrawal of presidential coverage. Convington said the inquiry would establish whether the broadcasters violated federal competition laws, citing provisions of the Sherman Act that prohibit certain agreements between competing businesses. She emphasised that the investigation was intended to determine whether the networks’ actions breached antitrust regulations.
The probe marks another escalation in the Trump administration’s strained relationship with major media organisations, which the president has repeatedly accused of spreading what he calls “fake news”. The investigation could expose the broadcasters to legal and financial consequences over their collective response to the administration’s restrictions on journalists.
The networks had not immediately commented on the announcement.
The dispute began last month after the White House withdrew press credentials from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, preventing their journalists from accessing certain presidential briefings and events.
On September 19, the administration defended its position by describing access to the president as a privilege rather than a right. The affected news organisations subsequently sued, arguing that the restrictions violated constitutional protections for the press and amounted to retaliation over their reporting.
The five broadcasters, which operate a shared television pool for covering the president, suspended coverage in solidarity with the excluded outlets. Under the arrangement, the networks share the costs of reporting on presidential events, rotate coverage responsibilities and distribute footage to other media organisations across the country. The broadcasters also declined to provide replacement coverage following the withdrawal of their colleagues.
The White House restored the affected outlets’ credentials on September 24 after US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the restrictions were likely unconstitutional. The judge ordered the administration to immediately reinstate their access. However, disagreements over journalists’ access to specific presidential events and arrangements for pooled coverage persisted.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also criticised the Justice Department’s decision to investigate the broadcasters. Jose Zamora, the organisation’s Americas director, warned against using competition law enforcement to pressure media outlets challenging restrictions on press access.
He said protecting the public’s right to information depended on journalists being able to access and report on government activities without intimidation.
