CNN, MS NOW and Politico have announced they will file a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump, claiming that restricting their journalists' access to the White House violates rights protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
In a joint statement, the three media organizations said they had notified the US government of the decision to take legal action, arguing that the government should not decide what the media reports or publishes.
"Without prior notice or due process, the White House revoked the credentials of our journalists because it disagreed with our reporting," the joint statement said.
According to media reports, the restrictions were imposed after the Trump administration objected to the way these organizations had reported to the government.
CNN and MS NOW, in addition to restricted access, have also been banned from using television equipment and camera positions within the White House complex.
The Trump administration has argued that the president has the authority to determine which journalists can access certain areas of the White House. In his statements, Trump has criticized reporting that he considers negative about his administration.
The case is expected to focus on the protection of press freedom and what is known in American jurisprudence as discrimination based on viewpoint. The media outlets claim that the restriction of access was made because of the content of their reporting.
An important precedent on this issue dates back to 1977, when a journalist for The Nation magazine, Robert Sherrill, won a legal battle after his White House press credentials were revoked.
Federal courts have ruled that access restrictions can constitute First Amendment violations when they are based on the content of the reporting or discriminate against a protected category of speech.
Similar cases have emerged during Trump's presidency. CNN reporter Jim Acosta, as well as correspondent Brian Karem and the Associated Press, have previously faced restrictions on access to the White House. In some of these cases, courts have ruled in favor of the journalists.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have announced that, despite the restrictions, they will continue to report on the activities of the US administration.
"CNN's mission to cover the U.S. government will continue despite any efforts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings or any other efforts to impede our journalistic work," CNN said.
