SUMMARY
A federal judge has once again ordered the White House to restore access for three news organizations President Trump banned last month over their coverage of his administration. The judge ordered full access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico while their legal challenge moves forward. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Ted Boutrous, the attorney representing the three outlets.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What do you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. See the Google doc above for discussion questions.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- What major news outlets had been banned from the White House?
- Who is Ted Boutrous, and what is his background?
- Why did a judge side with the media outlets and temporarily restored rights to access the White House?
- How is the ban possibly a First Amendment violation, according to Boutrous?
- What has been the response of other media outlets to the ban?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- Do you think press access to the White House is a First Amendment free speech right? Why so?
- Do you think any potential reporter or media outlet could be banned from White House coverage? Under what circumstances might a ban be appropriate?
Media literacy: Who else would you want to hear from to better understand why banning some media outlets from the White House might be a violation of First Amendment rights?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch the following segment, then discuss —
- Why do you think this issue is seemingly so important to news outlets?
- What do you think would be the consequences of allowing the White House to choose who it provides information to?
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