CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued the administration of US President Donald Trump after their journalists were barred from the White House and their press credentials revoked.
The three media organisations filed the lawsuit on Monday, September 21, seeking to restore their access to the White House and challenge what they described as a violation of their First Amendment rights. Reuters reported that the organisations are seeking a temporary restraining order in federal court in Washington, DC.
In a joint statement, the outlets said the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials without notice or due process because of objections to their reporting.
“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the statement said.
The organisations added that leaving the decision unchallenged could affect press freedom and the public’s access to independent journalism without government interference.
The legal action followed Trump’s announcement on Friday, September 18, that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. Trump accused the outlets of reporting what he described as “FICTION and LIES” about him, his administration and the United States.
The journalists were turned away from the White House on Saturday, September 19, after their press badges were deactivated or confiscated. Reporters from the three organisations subsequently covered events from outside the White House complex.
Trump has defended the decision, saying he supports a free press but wants what he considers fair and honest reporting. In a social media post, he argued that media organisations should not be allowed to publish what he described as false reports about the president, his administration or the country.
CNN previously described the ban as an assault on its constitutional rights and maintained that its journalism was fair and accurate.
The lawsuit now places the dispute over White House media access before a federal court, with the three organisations asking judges to intervene and restore their journalists’ access to the presidential complex.
