Justice Department probes major networks over White House pool boycott

The United States Department of Justice is investigating ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC over potential antitrust violations, according to reports from The Wrap and Variety. The Antitrust Division initiated the probe after the television press pool decided to suspend coverage of selected White House events. The networks took joint action following attempts by the Trump administration to deny media access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. [1][2]

Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Covington stated that members of the television press pool proudly boycotted White House events, as reported by The Wrap and Variety. Covington stated that group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. According to Variety, the department informed the five news outlets that it plans to investigate whether the decision to halt pool coverage violated federal antitrust regulations. [1][2]

A press pool is an arrangement in which a group of news organizations combines resources to collect and distribute broadcast feeds or written reports to member outlets. As FTMQ Film & TV reported earlier, the current investigation targets potential antitrust violations connected to group action among commercial competitors. [8][9]

The New York Times and Reuters both reported on the federal probe into the television networks. Variety reported that sources familiar with the matter confirmed the Department of Justice informed the outlets of the impending investigation into their joint press pool activities. [2][4][5]