Media Contact
Following President Trump’s banning of MS NOW, Politico, and CNN from the White House, the news organizations are expected to file a joint complaint in federal district court in Washington alleging, in part, the president’s actions are in violation of the outlets’ First Amendment free press rights.
Heather Murray, associate director of Cornell Law School’s First Amendment Clinic and managing attorney for the clinic’s Local Journalism Project, says the president's actions attack a fundamental pillar of American democracy.
Heather Murray
Local Journalism Project Managing Attorney and Associate Director, First Amendment Clinic, Cornell Law School
“Banning news outlets from the White House grounds based on reporting the President does not like is a clear violation of the First Amendment.
“The ban is an attack on press freedom, which is a fundamental pillar of American democracy. While the government is free to give one-on-one interviews or exclusive information to a select news outlet, it is not free to discriminate against news outlets based on the content of their reporting by barring reporters from spaces that are generally open to the press.
“President Trump made it clear Friday in a Truth Social post that he was doing exactly that, stating that he was banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW because of their ‘constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS’ and adding ‘[o]ther Fake News Media Outlets to follow.’
“We all benefit from a free and independent press that keeps us informed and holds our public officials accountable, and that’s why it’s important that CNN, Politico and MS NOW are filing suit to challenge the ban.”
