BFF-68 W.House claims ‘broad discretion’ to curb press access in CNN case

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US-MEDIA-POLITICS-CNN

W.House claims ‘broad discretion’ to curb press access in CNN case

WASHINGTON, Nov 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The White House said in a legal filing
Wednesday it has “broad discretion” to restrict media access to the
president, defending its right to bar CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.

The filing in a federal court came in response to a CNN lawsuit, backed by
other media, claiming the decision to ban a specific journalist violates the
constitutional protections of freedom of the press.

“The President and White House possess the same broad discretion to
regulate access to the White House for journalists (and other members of the
public) that they possess to select which journalists receive interviews, or
which journalists they acknowledge at press conferences,” said the brief
filed ahead of a court hearing in the case.

The filing by US Justice Department lawyers argued that “the president
could choose never to hold another press briefing again and cancel all press
passes, without implicating due process protections.”

BSS/AFP/FI/2344 hrs