DOJ probes TV networks over WH coverage

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether a group of major television networks violated federal antitrust laws by boycotting coverage of the White House. The inquiry focuses on the collective conduct of networks that are commercial competitors and the potential implications of a coordinated refusal to cover official events.

The department said the investigation is examining whether the networks’ actions amount to a group boycott that could fall under the prohibitions of the Sherman Act. The case centers on how access to and coverage of presidential appearances are organized when multiple competing broadcasters act together.

The Justice Department identified five broadcasters as being under investigation: ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News. All are part of the longstanding television press pool system that supplies video and audio of presidential events to other outlets.

Officials contacted the networks on a Friday with formal demands for documents and other materials. The requests sought communications and records related to the White House TV pool, including internal exchanges among network officials concerning pool coverage decisions.

Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said that group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act. She added that the Antitrust Division is investigating to determine whether these news organizations have, in fact, violated federal antitrust laws.

At the center of the probe is the White House TV pool, under which participating broadcasters share resources and take turns providing coverage of presidential appearances. The government’s document demands specifically target how decisions around this shared arrangement were discussed and implemented.

Investigators are seeking copies of communications among network officials about pool coverage. Materials related to any decisions to withhold coverage of White House events are part of the scope, reflecting the department’s interest in whether coordinated conduct restricted access in a way that could limit competition.

By examining whether joint coverage decisions could constitute a group boycott, the investigation places common industry practices under antitrust scrutiny. The outcome could influence how news organizations coordinate coverage of government activities when they are also marketplace competitors.

The probe underscores that even in the context of news gathering, coordinated actions by competing firms may attract antitrust review. The Justice Department has framed its work as a fact-finding effort to determine whether any provisions of the Sherman Act were breached by the networks’ handling of White House coverage.