Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the three organisations of publishing what Trump described as “fiction and lies” about the administration. Reporters from the three outlets were subsequently denied access to the White House on Saturday.

ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CNN make up the rotating White House television pool, which provides shared video coverage of presidential events to other news organisations. The networks announced that they would suspend the pool rather than provide a replacement crew after CNN was prevented from carrying out its scheduled duties.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have also filed a federal lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision and seeking the restoration of access. The organisations argue that the restrictions violate constitutional protections for the press.

Speaking to Channel Africa on Tuesday, Media Commentator and Executive Director of the Henry Nxumalo Foundation, Anton Harbour, described the networks’ collective response as significant.

Harbour said the dispute represented an important test of the relationship between the White House and independent media, arguing that the decision to restrict access appeared linked to the content of the organisations’ reporting.

Harbour said the US media had previously responded individually to disputes with the administration but was now demonstrating greater collective action.

The White House has also launched a streaming service known as Trump TV, providing a continuous feed featuring presidential material. The move comes as traditional television networks suspend their pooled coverage.

Harbour said the dispute raised wider questions about how access to the President should be managed and whether government authorities should determine which news organisations receive access based on their coverage.

The White House has defended the restrictions, while Trump has continued to describe the targeted outlets as “fake news”.

–ChannelAfrica–