CNN, NBC, Fox News, ABC and CBS under investigation for failing to cover Trump
The Department of Justice’s investigation concerns a possible breach of competition law due to the failure to provide joint coverage of the President during the mid-term elections
The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the five major American television networks following their joint decision not to provide media coverage of the US President Donald Trump in the run-up to the November mid-term elections. This was announced by Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington, who explained that the investigation concerns a potential breach of federal antitrust laws.
The investigation concerns the White House press pool comprising television journalists from CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox News. “Members of the television press pool have boycotted coverage of White House events. Collective boycotts amongst commercial competitors may breach the Sherman Act. The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organisations have breached antitrust laws,” said Covington.
The pool is a group of media organisations that take turns to cover the President’s activities during public appearances and trips. The pool then distributes the information and multimedia content, such as video and audio footage, to other media organisations.
