13 news organizations back CNN lawsuit against White House

More than a dozen media organizations issued a joint statement on Wednesday in support of CNN’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to revoke White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials.

The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Fox News and The Washington Post are among the 13 organizations that said they intend to file friend-of-the-court briefs to back CNN and Acosta’s case.

“Whether the news of the day concerns national security, the economy, or the environment, reporters covering the White House must remain free to ask questions,” the news organizations said in a statement.

{mosads}”It is imperative that independent journalists have access to the President and his activities, and that journalists are not barred for arbitrary reasons,” the groups added. “Our news organizations support the fundamental constitutional right to question this President, or any President.”

Other news groups that signed onto the statement included First Look Media Works, Inc.; Gannett; National Press Club Journalism Institute; NBC News; The New York Times; Politico; Press Freedom Defense Fund; E.W. Scripps Company; and USA Today Network.

CNN filed a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that the White House violated Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights when it pulled his press credentials following a contentious press conference with President Trump last week.

A federal judge is scheduled to hold an initial hearing on the case on Wednesday afternoon, where he will rule on the network’s request for a temporary restraining order that would immediately return Acosta’s press pass.

The White House has vowed to “vigorously” fight the lawsuit, and argued in an initial filing on Wednesday morning that the president has “broad discretion to regulate access to the White House.”

The White House press corps has long had tense relationships with the presidents they cover, but experts said it is unprecedented in the modern era for an administration to pull credentials from a reporter it does not like.