Media law expert criticises White House exclusion of three news outlets

A media law scholar has criticised the decision to bar reporters from three major news organisations from the White House, describing the move as part of a pattern of limiting critical coverage.

Amy Kristin Sanders, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, said she was "disappointed but not surprised" that journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the outlets were being excluded because of reporting he characterised as "fake news."

Speaking in a video interview, Sanders said the administration has a history of trying to restrict journalists' ability to report critically, and that the president appears to retaliate whenever a story proves embarrassing.

The exclusion marks an escalation of long-running efforts — pursued through courts and administrative action — to constrain coverage by journalists the president finds objectionable, and amounts to a fresh test of First Amendment protections in the United States.

Sanders said she expected a legal challenge if the outlets' access is not restored. She argued that the administration has shown little interest in observing traditional First Amendment rules and norms, leaving the courts as the main avenue for enforcing press rights.

She noted that while presidents have historically been reluctant to have journalists travelling on Air Force One or working inside the White House, they have generally recognised the press's role in a democratic society. This administration, she said, displays a complete lack of respect for that role in informing the public.

Outside the White House, protester Bill Christeson held up a sign reading "Defend Our Democracy." He said journalists stand on the front lines of defending democracy, both in war zones and at home, and called on the public to speak up.

Sanders urged news organisations to keep pressing the president and his administration, saying they act on behalf of the public in ensuring the Constitution is upheld. She pointed to court findings that the president's actions have violated the Constitution, and said continued scrutiny is important so that the administration knows journalists are working to hold it accountable.