The US Department of Justice said it is examining whether television networks broke federal antitrust laws when they decided to stop covering President Donald Trump.
According to a spokesperson, the Antitrust Division is investigating to find out if the news organizations acted against the law.
This step followed the television pool of five broadcasters halting their coverage of the president last month after CNN, MSNBC and Politico were excluded from the White House.
Late Saturday, messages were sent to ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC requesting comment.
The White House press pool consists of a rotating group of news organizations that cover the president. They split the costs and share the footage nationwide.
The developments last month represent a major escalation in the president’s attempts to limit coverage by reporters and networks he considers unfriendly.
On 19 September, the White House revoked credentials for journalists from CNN, Politico and MSNBC. It stated that access to cover the president is a privilege rather than an automatic right.
CNN, MSNBC and Politico challenged the temporary ban in court. A judge issued a ruling allowing the ban to stand only until Tuesday.
Television pool coverage has resumed. The broadcasters rotate duties for organizing coverage and exchange the video with other media outlets.
Jose Zamora, the Committee to Protect Journalists regional director for the Americas, criticized the decision to investigate.
“The government should not use antitrust investigations to intimidate news outlets defending press access,” Zamora said on X. “The public’s right to know depends on that access.”
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