Several major United States television networks halted their coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House barred CNN from the press pool, according to The Hindu. The networks acted in protest at the exclusion of CNN's crew, the outlet reported on Monday.
CNN reported that the major networks declined to take CNN's place in the White House pool. The Times of India described the move as a blackout of Trump coverage by the large US broadcasters.
The White House defended the decision in a piece titled "White House Access Is a Privilege — Not a Right," published on its own website. The item appeared among coverage of the dispute.
The standoff widened beyond the pool arrangement. Telegraph India reported that three outlets sued over the White House press ban, and that Trump responded by criticizing what he called "fake news."
The reports, carried by outlets including The Hindu, CNN, The Times of India and Telegraph India, frame the episode as a clash between the White House and the US press corps over access to presidential coverage. The White House's own published position holds that access to its premises is discretionary rather than an entitlement.
The dispute centers on the makeup of the press pool, the rotating group of journalists that accompanies the president at official events. CNN's removal from that group triggered the networks' response, according to the reports.
What to watch next: whether the networks restore coverage and how the lawsuits filed by the three outlets proceed.