Story perspectives

DOJ Probes Networks for White House Coverage Halt

By Drooid · Oct 13, 2026, 8:02 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened probe into ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News for halting White House coverage.
Networks halted coverage after President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington said the boycott may violate the Sherman Act and issued civil investigative demands.
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order restoring the barred outlets’ credentials until Tuesday.

History

Historical Context

In 1971 the Supreme Court ruled in New York Times Co. v. United States that the First Amendment barred prior restraint on the Pentagon Papers, a 2,000-page, 47,000-document study of U.S. Vietnam policy. That decision protected the press against Nixon’s injunction. Today the DOJ’s antitrust probe of ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox echoes the 1971 clash, testing limits of government power over media.

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Story summary

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened probe into ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News for halting White House coverage.
Networks halted coverage after President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington said the boycott may violate the Sherman Act and issued civil investigative demands.
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order restoring the barred outlets’ credentials until Tuesday.

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