Trump’s press ban prompts widespread solidarity — and fewer images of the president
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House is seen in Washington
By Brian Stelter, CNN
(CNN) — A ban on one is almost like a ban on all.
That’s the prevailing feeling now that President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico has been implemented by the White House and challenged in court by the news organizations.
Maybe the feeling won’t last. Maybe the unity will fizzle out. But at least for a moment, Trump’s ban prompted shows of solidarity from almost every corner of the White House press corps and beyond, with local news outlets, social media influencers and free-speech advocates all joining in.
The result on Monday was not a boycott — news about the president was still covered — but something close to a blackout, with a noticeable absence of Trump photos and videos on TV and news websites.
On Fox News, anchor Bret Baier noted that Trump will have a full day of events at the United Nations on Tuesday. “We will see him on non-pool events like the UN speech, but it is this solidarity, standing with the pool, that TV networks are adhering to,” Baier said.
Not only is the TV pool refusing to let Trump drive a wedge between the major networks, but other regular members of the pool are showing support for the affected outlets in various ways.
The Associated Press chose not to publish photos of Monday’s presidential appearances. The public radio network NPR announced that it is not airing audio of Trump’s events for the time being. A sign posted in the press workspace at the White House summed up the mood: “I stand with AP, CNN, MS NOW, Politico.”
“There are individual acts of solidarity” happening, “and a broad interest in understanding how every outlet can do its part to stand up in this moment,” a White House correspondent said on condition of anonymity.
There were so many statements of support on Monday, it was hard to keep track of them all: The Pentagon Press Association. The Society of Professional Journalists. The New York Times. The Atlantic.
Newsrooms like The New Yorker, the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal signed an open letter organized by Committee to Protect Journalists CEO Jodie Ginsberg that said Trump’s ban “sets a dangerous precedent.”
“Enough is enough,” Ginsberg said. “The role of the free press is to hold power to account and governments should never dictate who gets to report on them. It’s vital that all of us who support a free and vibrant US press stand together in its defense.”
News organizations in the US typically compete with each other for scoops, stories, traffic and talent. Sometimes it can get ferocious.
But on this particular issue, there’s widespread awareness that Trump could ban more news outlets based on his mood, so it must be addressed forcefully.
The CNN, MS NOW and Politico joint lawsuit was prominently covered by most other major media outlets on Monday.
Fresh video of Trump was scarce because CNN was prohibited from taking its turn as the TV pool, and the other networks agreed not to replace the network.
The White House tried to line up an alternative broadcaster to fulfill pool duties: Gray TV, an owner of local TV stations. But Gray TV declined, two sources familiar with the decision said.
Several other media outlets were also approached about taking CNN’s seats in the pool, and declined.
Still photographers who regularly document Trump’s events and trips also showed solidarity by deciding not to publish images of Trump during the day on Monday.
The Washington Post called it a “collective effort with photographers in other newsrooms.”
The New York Times described the action similarly in a statement saying it “will not publish or distribute any images taken as part of the White House still photography pool today, in conjunction with the other members of that pool and in a show of support for the news organizations being unfairly targeted by the president’s barring of journalists from the White House.”
On Tuesday morning it was not immediately clear if the actions would stretch into a second day.
The-CNN-Wire
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