The US Department of Justice is investigating media organizations regarding the boycott of coverage of the White House

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The US Department of Justice said it was investigating whether media organizations violated federal antitrust laws due to their decision to boycott coverage of the White House, after it withdrew the permits of correspondents of three organizations, including CNN. The ministry said yesterday, Saturday, that the institutions subject to investigation are (ABC), (CBS), (CNN), (NBC) and (Fox News). “Mass boycotts among business competitors could constitute a violation of the Sherman Act,” a Justice Department spokesman said. "The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations violated antitrust laws," he added. The investigation is the latest in a series of clashes between the administration of US President Donald Trump and major news organizations.

Trump has repeatedly described the mainstream media as "fake news" and has often gotten into confrontations with journalists during his meetings with the media. This measure places legal, and perhaps financial, pressure on the media to continue covering the president's news and activities even when they disagree with the White House's handling of them. The networks have not yet responded to Reuters' requests for comment. The New York Times was the first to publish news of the investigation conducted by the Ministry of Justice. The investigation comes after weeks of tension between the White House and the press. Passes withdrawn On September 19, the White House banned reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS Now from entering the complex, and revoked their press passes. The White House said that covering the president's news and activities is "a privilege, not a right."

The organizations filed a lawsuit against the administration, saying that banning them violated the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and that the White House was retaliating against their media coverage. CNN is one of five news organizations, along with ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC, that make up the main television group charged with covering the White House.

These networks share the costs of covering the president's news and activities, take turns organizing coverage, and share footage with media outlets around the country.

All five television networks covering the White House, including Fox News, suspended their coverage in solidarity with the organizations that were banned, and refused to provide alternative coverage. The White House reinstated the permits on September 24, after US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the ban was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to "immediately restore access to them, re-grant them the permits, and restore their rights."

However, disputes over access to specific presidential events and coverage assignments within the Joint Coverage Group continued thereafter.