TV Networks to Resume Trump Coverage, Even as White House Excludes CNN
The major networks are set to resume their collective television coverage of President Trump on Sunday, even though the White House blocked CNN from participating in the TV pool over the weekend, according to four people briefed on the deliberations.Five networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC — collaborate to provide footage of Mr.Trump’s daily events, covering the president on a rotating basis and sharing footage with one another and other global news outlets.Throughout the past week, the quintet had suspended the TV pool in an effort to force the administration to reinstate CNN, after Mr.
Trump barred its journalists from the White House grounds.The networks went so far as to refuse to air footage of portions of Mr.
Trump’s summit with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping.But under a tentative plan that began taking shape late Friday, the other four networks would return to performing pool duties, the people said.Each time that CNN comes up in the pool rotation, the group of networks will decide whether to provide a substitute crew.
Otherwise, CNN’s slot will be left unfilled, and Mr.Trump will not receive major network coverage.The networks could agree to suspend the White House TV pool at any time, the people said.The major networks declined to comment on Saturday.
In a previous joint statement, they wrote that “no administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”Resuming the TV pool effectively hands Mr.Trump more control over the list of news outlets granted close-up access to many of his events.
It also ensures that viewers will receive high-quality broadcast coverage of the president.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already ...