▲ CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Media outlets that were barred from the White House under instructions from U.S. President Donald Trump have filed a lawsuit in court.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico announced in a joint statement on September 21 (local time) that they filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and notified the government.
They also submitted an emergency application requesting the restoration of White House press credentials.
The media outlets stated in the complaint, "The Constitution does not allow the President or any other government official to strip the press of its First Amendment rights, freedoms, and property interests without notice or due process simply because they dislike the reporting."
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution stipulates that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News, which operate the White House television pool alongside CNN, suspended pool coverage starting that day, halting the rotation-based reporting on President Trump that is provided to domestic and foreign news outlets.
The television pool emphasized in a statement, "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about the government. No administration should restrict a particular media outlet simply because it is unhappy with its coverage."
Due to the suspension of coverage by the five major broadcasters, footage capturing President Trump will not be transmitted to the TV networks across the United States owned by these companies.
It can still be viewed through small right-wing broadcasting outlets or YouTube channels.
Consequently, President Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York scheduled for September 22 has become difficult to find on American television networks.
Even during the completion ceremony for the helipad held when President Trump boarded the presidential helicopter Marine One to attend the UN General Assembly, his voice could not be heard due to the absence of a pool microphone.
On that day, President Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "The White House is not waging an attack on the free press, which I cherish. The White House is waging an attack on fake news, which has grown like a cancer in our beloved country."
President Trump claimed, "Fake news is corrupt, intentional, pervasive, and completely coordinated. It is totally out of control. This is a threat to our national security. It must be stopped immediately."
CNN reported that a media report briefing by Natalie Harp, a close aide and advisor, is believed to have influenced President Trump's decision announced on September 18 to ban the three outlets from the White House.
Harp, a former right-wing television host, closely accompanies President Trump, taking down his dictation to post on Truth Social or printing out media reports to brief him.
While the Trump administration's "war with the mainstream media" is not unprecedented, the New York Times (NYT) and other outlets noted that launching an all-out war against multiple media organizations simultaneously is rare.
Previously, the Associated Press (AP) filed a lawsuit after being banned from entering the Oval Office in the White House.
In that ongoing lawsuit, the reason cited for banning the AP was its failure to follow a directive to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."
The U.S. Department of Defense also required accredited journalists to sign a pledge not to report based on "unauthorized or authorized but controlled information," leading to a ban on domestic and foreign media outlets that refused, prompting ongoing lawsuits.
During Trump's first term, White House access was revoked for specific reporters from CNN and Playboy.
They challenged the decision in court and successfully had their press credentials restored.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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