The Justice Department announced a formal antitrust investigation into ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News regarding their actions during a dispute over White House press access. The investigation centers on the networks’ coordination in declining to cover certain White House events after the administration blocked CNN from participating in the television press pool.
The situation emerged following the White House’s decision last month to revoke press credentials for multiple journalists and bar CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House. The administration cited national security concerns for the action. The three organizations challenged the decision in federal court, and a judge issued a temporary order requiring credential restoration pending a final ruling.
As part of standard practice, members of the White House television press pool share coverage responsibilities for presidential events at smaller venues, including trips on Air Force One. When CNN was blocked from fulfilling its scheduled pool shifts, the other four networks agreed not to substitute for the outlet on affected days. This coordination resulted in reduced coverage of a Trump appearance with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Justice Department characterized this decision-making as potentially violating antitrust law, stating that group boycotts among commercial competitors can breach the Sherman Act.
Press freedom advocates criticized the investigation as retaliatory. Bruce Brown of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press called it an intimidation tactic, while Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation described the investigation as nonsense. Constitutional law scholar Michael Dorf noted that networks’ coordination to protect press freedom constitutes reasonable behavior, particularly given the limited physical space at certain venues that necessitates pool cooperation.
The investigation reflects broader tensions between the administration and news media. Separately, the Federal Communications Commission has launched reviews of broadcast licenses for major networks, with ABC facing particular scrutiny. Trump is also pursuing multiple lawsuits against news organizations including the New York Times and BBC News.
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