About a week after the New England First Amendment Coalition denounced a recent press ban by the Trump Administration, the group joined more than 70 media organizations in an amicus brief arguing for the ban’s end.
The core function of a White House correspondent is to report on the president of the United States, to shine a light and hold the administration accountable, wrote NEFAC and fellow amici in the brief filed today.
“For decades, this kind of reporting has depended in part on physical access to White House grounds to ask questions of public officials,” they explained.
In a Sept. 18 social media post, President Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House press facilities, calling their reporting “fake news” and claiming that they publish “fiction and lies.” The morning after the post, journalists from the three outlets had their press credentials revoked and were denied entry into the White House.
In the brief — drafted by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press — amici urge the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent the Trump Administration from excluding the news outlets from White House press meetings and facilities. Specifically, amici argue that:
- White House correspondents play an essential role in informing the public on details of the office of the presidency.
- Revoking journalists’ and news outlets’ rights because of perceived bias violates precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The ban is part of a larger pattern of government pressure and intimidation on the press to prevent coverage of news that the Administration deems unfavorable.
“It deprives reporters and their audiences of timely, newsworthy information about the daily affairs of the presidency,” according to the brief. “It is designed to have a chilling effect, with the hope that it discourages other outlets from publishing stories that they fear might provoke similar sanctions.”
NEFAC is the region’s leading defender of the First Amendment and open government. The coalition began in 2006 to advance and protect the five freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
NEFAC appreciates the support of all its donors and contributors. In particular, we would like to recognize the Estate of Gloria L. Negri, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the following Leadership Circle donors: Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, The Harbus Foundation, Boston University, the Champa Charitable Foundation, the Robertson Foundation, and Philip and Judith Meyer. Major Supporters of NEFAC’s work include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Gravel & Shea PC, the Academy of New England Journalists, Truro News and Patrisha McLean.