MAJOR BREAKING>>
All major TV networks are standing behind CNN as the White House ban on them takes affect during the kick off of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York today. CNN is not being allowed to travel on Air Force 1 to the event with the president as the assigned pooler. The remaining major TV news outlets are standing in solidarity with CNN including FOX News, CBS and ABC. They are not participating in the pool duties indefinitely due to this disruption. This means the direct coverage of the president's UNGA engagement and meeting with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdami today will not be televised to the entire country by the usual process -- if at all.
Although the access of CNN and MSNOW has been suspended, the implication on how the press pool works going forward is more broadly significant. Denying one outlet effectively denies all outlets the access necessary to do their work. It also deprives the public of the news that could come from any given situation involving the president. As he lays down the gauntlet on so called fake news the president is potentially isolating news organizations of all types.
The impacted networks, along with POLITCO filed a press freedom lawsuit asking a judge for emergency intervention.
The TV pooler generally gathers footage and audio of the president and disperses it to other networks to ensure all of them have access to the same information. This core group of networks are a tightly knit band of professionals that supports each other on a rotated schedule, despite being competitors. The pool system was started under FDR to ensure that resources are shared due to space and financial constraints.
The ban includes no access to White House grounds, at joint Base Andrews or to ground and air travel.
There are secondary TV news entities credentialed for White House access yet their coverage is not as widespread. The only TV crews listed on the current schedule are Hearst (which are a grouping of local stations) and Real America’s Voice (a right‑leaning TV outlet) as secondary TV crews. The White House assigned Hearst to in-town coverage and out of town coverage to Real America's Voice.
There are secondary TV news entities credentialed for White House access yet their coverage is not as widespread. The only TV crews listed on the current schedule are Hearst (which are a grouping of local stations) and Real America’s Voice (a right‑leaning TV outlet) as secondary TV crews. The White House assigned Hearst to in-town coverage and out of town coverage to Real America's Voice.