A federal judge on Sept. 24 ordered the White House to restore press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, reversing a ban that had kept the outlets out of White House briefings, Reuters reported.
The judge temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing the ban and directed officials to return press credentials, saying the outlets were likely to succeed on claims that they had been denied adequate due process, Reuters said.
The three outlets had sued after the White House announced they would be barred; CNN reported the lawsuit argued the ban violated the First and Fifth Amendments.
The court order prompted reporters from the three organizations to re-enter the White House grounds within hours, with CNN publishing that its journalists were permitted back into the pool after the judge’s directive.
Legal analysts told BBC News the ruling focused on procedural fairness rather than the content of coverage, with the judge saying the administration had not given the outlets adequate notice or process before revoking access.
Why it matters: cnn news organizations rely on White House access to cover briefings and events directly; restoring badges means those outlets can resume on-the-record reporting from inside the West Wing, Reuters and CNN noted.
What happens next is legal: the judge’s order was temporary while the lawsuit proceeds, and the administration may seek to appeal or present additional justification in court, according to NPR’s coverage.
Sources
- Reuters — reported the judge’s Sept. 24 order restoring access and that the ban was temporarily blocked.
- CNN — described the lawsuit and said the outlets argued the ban violated the First and Fifth Amendments.
- BBC News — summarized the judge’s focus on due process and procedural fairness.
- NPR — reported reporters returned to the White House after the court order and noted the order is temporary while litigation continues.
