Afət Ziyadqızı
Lawyers for leading U.S. media organizations CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a lawsuit over restrictions imposed on journalists by President Donald Trump’s administration. The attorneys say the White House cited “national security” and “professional standards” to revoke journalists’ credentials without concrete evidence, describing the move as political retaliation that violates press freedom.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that court filings cite Donald Trump’s interview with Time magazine, in which he said he should not have to put up with “constant negative stories,” as an admission that reveals the real motive behind the restrictions.
The filings also note that CNN and Politico correspondents have been barred from press briefings aboard the president’s Air Force One while the legal dispute continues.
At an earlier hearing, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary ruling in favor of the media organizations, saying the administration could not disregard legal precedents dating back half a century and that the White House’s claim of a “national security threat” was unfounded. Seventy-seven leading U.S. media organizations and several press coalitions have filed statements expressing their full support for the plaintiffs.
At Thursday’s next hearing, the White House is expected to take the case immediately to an appeals court if the ruling goes against the administration. U.S. media organizations have voiced serious concern that measures of this kind could become a systematic censorship mechanism in the future.
