The Society of Professional Journalists welcomes U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s order requiring the White House to temporarily restore press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The 14-day restraining order is an important step as the outlets challenge the administration’s decision to bar them from the White House.
However, the order has not yet translated into restored access for all affected journalists. Reporters from the outlets remained barred from the White House grounds Thursday, including a Politico reporter whose press pass was confiscated by the Secret Service.
A free press must be able to scrutinize those in power, regardless of who occupies the White House or which news organization is doing the reporting. A court order restoring journalists’ access should be followed, and those journalists should be allowed to do their jobs without fear that access will be revoked because of their coverage.
Judge Kelly ordered the White House to “immediately return, reinstate and restore” the journalists’ credentials. He also found that the outlets were likely to succeed in showing that their press credentials were revoked in violation of the legal protections required by the Constitution. The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while the case proceeds.
SPJ first spoke out against the ban when it was announced Friday, emphasizing that access should not be used as leverage over journalism. We will continue to monitor whether the administration complies with the court’s order and urge the White House to ensure that credentialed journalists can cover the presidency without fear of retaliation for their reporting.
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Courtesy: Society of Professional Journalists