Three US news outlets—CNN, Politico, and MSNBC—have announced plans to sue the administration of US President Donald Trump. The organizations announced this legal action after their journalists were barred from entering the White House.
Last Friday, Donald Trump announced restrictions against these news outlets. He alleged that the three outlets were publishing “fabricated” or “false” news about his administration.
Subsequently, on Saturday, journalists from these organizations were denied entry to the White House, and their press credentials were confiscated.
In a joint statement on Monday, CNN, Politico, and MSNBC announced they were taking legal action to protect their “First Amendment rights” and to establish the principle that the government cannot dictate what the media publishes or how it reports the news.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the government from curtailing freedom of the press. Courts have traditionally interpreted this provision to mean that news outlets cannot be discriminated against based on the content of their reporting or their criticism of the government.
The joint statement further noted that the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials without notice or due process simply because it objected to their reporting.
The statement warned that failing to challenge this action would threaten press freedom and the right to independent journalism free from government interference.
