President Donald Trump's move to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House began taking effect on Saturday, as reporters from CNN and MS NOW said their credentials had been deactivated and they were turned away from the complex.
An MS NOW reporter and a photographer were stopped from entering the White House grounds after officers found their press credentials had been deactivated and took possession of their badges, BBC reported.
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MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said an officer told her that her badge had been disabled and that the decision was beyond his authority.
“I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him,” Gardner said, according to the BBC.
She said an MS NOW producer was nevertheless able to enter using a functioning badge, without being given an explanation.
CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a Secret Service agent informed her that her White House credential had been deactivated.
The developments followed Trump's announcement on Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House.
Trump accused the outlets of publishing what he described as “fiction or lies” about his administration, without identifying specific reports that had prompted the decision.
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Asked why he was imposing the ban, Trump said it was based on what he called a cumulative pattern of coverage over several years.
He also suggested that other media organisations could face similar restrictions, mentioning The New York Times and The Washington Post.
CNN said the move would amount to an unconstitutional interference with its journalists' ability to report.
MS NOW said the White House belonged to the American people and that it intended to take steps to defend its First Amendment rights.
Press freedom organisations have also criticised the move.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said it expected the ban to be struck down by courts, arguing that the government cannot exclude journalists because of their reporting.
The White House Correspondents' Association likewise defended the affected outlets, saying the issue extended beyond journalists' rights to the public's ability to receive an independent account of government activities.
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The dispute follows other clashes between the Trump administration and news organisations over access.
The Associated Press previously challenged restrictions imposed by the White House, while journalists from several major outlets have also faced limits on access to government events.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects freedom of speech and the press. The latest restrictions are expected to face legal challenges, BBC reported.
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