White House bars three outlets as midterms approach

Three outlets denied access

Politico, CNN and MS NOW reported Saturday that their journalists had been denied access to White House executive premises. The denials followed President Trump’s announcement this week that he was banning the three news organizations from White House access.

The action applies to three separate outlets covering the presidency. Each reported that its journalists could not enter the executive premises following Trump’s announcement. The dispute now involves both the administration’s access decision and the ability of the affected journalists to report from inside the White House complex.

White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich called on the White House to restore the journalists’ access immediately. The association represents reporters who cover the White House, while the access decision rests with the Trump administration.

Sunday shows turn to access and the midterms

The White House restrictions and the correspondents’ association’s response are set to be part of the Sunday political discussion. The central questions are whether the administration will maintain the ban and whether Politico, CNN and MS NOW journalists will regain entry to the executive premises.

The programs will also provide a national platform for the parties to make their final cases as the midterm elections approach. That discussion is separate from the White House access dispute, but both subjects place attention on how political information reaches voters.

No individual race or candidate is directly tied to the access decision. The immediate process to watch is the White House’s handling of credentials and entry for the three organizations, along with any further response from the correspondents’ association.