Major US TV networks suspend coverage of Trump after White House bans CNN

Major US television networks have suspended their shared coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from its grounds, accusing the outlets of publishing fake news. The ban has left a key gap in video coverage of the US President's public events.

The decision was announced on Monday after CNN was prevented from carrying out its scheduled duties as part of the White House television pool. Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News jointly said they would no longer provide the rotating pool coverage.

"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting," they said.

The five major television networks have traditionally shared responsibility for covering the US President. They rotate the duty of sending a



camera crew to presidential events and distribute the resulting footage to other broadcasters.

CNN was scheduled to handle the pool on Monday, including coverage of Trump's trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. But the network could not carry out the assignment after the White House enforced Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico. However, the White House designated Hearst, which operates local TV stations across the US, as the secondary TV crew in Washington, while pro-Trump outlet Real America's Voice was assigned as the secondary crew for Trump's trip to New York, as per Politico.

The decision does not mean television networks have stopped covering the Trump administration altogether. Rather, they will no longer provide the shared pool feed for events covered under the presidential pool arrangement. Other journalists and outlets can continue reporting from outside the restricted access.