As of Monday, September 21, three national news outlets, including CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, have filed a lawsuit against the United States government for violation of the First Amendment. These media outlets were barred from the White House due to unfavorable coverage and were threatened with more bans. Trump is famous for criticizing the media, often claiming they are releasing false information. However, as of 1798, the Sedition Act made it illegal to “print, utter, or publish…any false, scandalous, and malicious writing.”
In solidarity with these news stations being barred, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News have refused to provide coverage of Donald Trump. However, other news organizations are concerned by threats of further service bans, leading them to question whether it is better to keep reporting on the administration or join those refusing.
To continue publishing media, the Trump administration launched “Trump TV,” a 24/7 streaming channel only showing media of President Trump’s speeches, including archives. Some are concerned this will act as a state-run medium—a direct pipeline from the president to the people—allowing potential push of propaganda and circumventing news sources’ ability to determine what to report. Both events demonstrate an attempt to control the media by the Trump administration.
Overall, national media outlets view this politically motivated ban as an abuse of power by the government. The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press and has been cited in collective lawsuits against the administration. All news sources listed will still be reporting on events, though they will not be allowed to cover events within the White House, and the duration of the ban remains unclear as courts continue to weigh in.
