US Justice Department Probes TV Networks Over White House Coverage Boycott
The inquiry concerns ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC, which jointly suspended their coverage after Trump revoked White House press credentials for journalists from CNN, MSNOW and Politico in September.
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events,” the Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington said, according to reports.
“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” she added.
Covington explained that the department's Antitrust Division was investigating whether the broadcasters' coordinated decision violated federal competition regulations.
The five networks had announced their withdrawal in support of the excluded media outlets, arguing that the public should retain access to independent reporting on government activities.
“No administration should reject a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” they said in a joint statement.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.