Major US outlets boycott shared Trump coverage in protest at media ban

Major US television networks suspended their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump on Monday in response to CNN, Politico and MS NOW being barred from the White House.Trump announced the ban on Friday as he accused the organisations of writing "fiction or lies" about his administration. The companies said their reporters were denied access to the building on Saturday.The three US outlets have since said they will sue the Trump administration in a bid to "defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports".Shortly after, the White House launched its own streaming channel, Trump TV, which operates a 24/7 feed of clips of the president.Several other US outlets have also announced that they would not participate in coverage of pooled events, with some, including the New York Times and Washington Post, saying they would not share still images from Trump events on Monday.It meant there was no network TV footage of Trump boarding Air Force One or arriving in New York to attend the UN general assembly.Trump also took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Marine One helipad on the White House South Lawn. The event was streamed on the White House site but his comments were inaudible.The president did later appear on television following a meeting with the Mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani. He told the president that all members of the media would be welcome at the press conference.