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The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the\u00a0decision of the White House television\u00a0press pool to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month violated antitrust law, an agency spokesperson said Saturday.<\/p>\n
Emily Covington, a spokesperson for the department, said group boycotts among business competitors might violate U.S. law. \u201cThe Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The announcement came after the television pool of five broadcasters last month ceased presidential coverage after the administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.<\/p>\n
Messages were sent late Saturday to the five outlets seeking comment: ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC.<\/p>\n
The White House press pool, which is a rotating cast of news outlets that covers the president, has become a proxy for the wider fight over whether the president, or anyone, can control the content of news reports \u2014 a type of free speech, pillar of American democracy.<\/p>\n
Last month\u2019s developments marked an extraordinary escalation in Trump\u2019s efforts to restrict news reporters and outlets that he finds insufficiently supportive.<\/p>\n
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued over the\u00a0days-long ban. It was lifted after a judge handed the three news organizations a reprieve, which is in place until Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Television pool coverage of the White House has also resumed.<\/p>\n
Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists\u2019 regional director of the Americas, on Saturday criticized the administration\u2019s decision to investigate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access,\u201d Zamora said on X. \u201cThe public\u2019s right to know depends on that access.\u201d<\/p>\n
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#DOJ #investigating #White #House #pools #coverage #halt #violated #antitrust #law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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