United States President Donald Trump has taken the unprecedented step of announcing that several media outlets are to be banned from the White House, “immediately”.
On Friday, he took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to announce the ban, citing “reporting FAKE NEWS!” as the reason, with other outlets to follow.
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Asked by reporters later on Friday what he meant, Trump said: “Others to come in terms of fake news? Well, you know, The New York Times is fake news, The Washington Post is fake news.”
Here is what you need to know:
Which news outlets have been banned and why?
The US President banned CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico from reporting from the White House.
On Truth Social, he accused the outlets of propagating “fake news”. He added that the outlets “constantly write or report fiction or lies” about the Trump administration, but did not give any examples.
However, a short news conference at the White House on the same day revealed that it was likely a partisan issue, telling reporters the outlets “purposely write negative news” and seek to “diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration. And honestly, we’ve done a fantastic job.”
What have the responses been?
CNN denounced the move, saying it stands behind its White House team and their “fair and accurate reporting”.
“We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” a CNN spokesperson told Al Jazeera. “Should the ban, which President Trump threatened, go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right.”
Politico said it would “continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.”
The news outlet’s communications team also pushed back on a separate Trump claim that Politico had received government subsidies, calling it “false” and saying it had “been thoroughly debunked”.
MS NOW did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement.
The National Press Club was among several groups that immediately criticised the ban as an attack on the free press.
“Banning news organisations from the White House based on the administration’s disapproval of their coverage is a clear attempt to control which voices are allowed to witness and report on the exercise of presidential power,” said the group’s president, Mark Schoeff Jr.
“Someone needs to explain to President Trump how the First Amendment works,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation director at PEN America.
Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said: “These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”
What rights do White House journalists have and what is their job?
White House journalists report on the US president and what he says and does; they question officials at briefings, report on policy, and rotate through the small “press pool” that follows the president into the Oval Office and onto Air Force One.
The First Amendment protects what they publish, so the government can’t censor them or legally penalise them for their reporting.
Once press passes are offered, courts have ruled they can’t be denied or revoked arbitrarily.
The White House must follow fair standards and give notice and a chance to respond.
On that basis, CNN won a court order in 2018 restoring Jim Acosta’s revoked pass.
Has Trump done this before?
The ban follows the president’s decision last year to bar Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events in retaliation for the news outlet’s decision not to follow his lead in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, which lies partially in Mexican and other waters, to the Gulf of America.
AP has taken legal action against this.
Throughout his second term, Trump and his administration have attacked certain media outlets in court and through regulatory action.
Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media.
Since returning to office, Trump has pursued other legal action against a variety of different outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC.
His administration is also involved in a long-simmering confrontation with ABC over renewal of its broadcast licences.
Can outlets challenge this ban in court?
After the AP ban, the news agency filed a lawsuit, and that case is ongoing.
In the 1977 Sherrill v Knight case, a federal appeals court ruled that although the White House is not required to open its doors to the news media, once it establishes press facilities for credentialed journalists, it cannot deny access based on the content of a journalist’s coverage.
The court held that any denial must serve a compelling government interest and that the journalist must receive notice, the chance to respond and a final answer in writing.
It remains unclear at this stage what legal recourse CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico could pursue.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said Trump’s ban will likely be challenged soon.
“The United States has the First Amendment [of its Constitution] that says the government cannot restrict access to this sort of thing,” he said.
“Other presidents have been angry at press coverage before. Lyndon B Johnson used to rail about it. Richard Nixon wondered whether or not he could ban certain people from the White House as well. At every point, they were told it’s not a good look.”
