US Media In Court Showdown Over White House Access

US President Donald Trump's effort to revoke a CNN correspondent's credentials went to court Wednesday, in a hearing that saw the channel backed by media groups -- including arch-rival Fox News -- who said the case was a matter of press freedom.

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Nov, 2018 ) :US President Donald Trump's effort to revoke a CNN correspondent's credentials went to court Wednesday, in a hearing that saw the channel backed by media groups -- including arch-rival Fox News -- who said the case was a matter of press freedom.

Lawyers for CNN and the White House -- which said it had a broad right to restrict access to the president -- argued before US District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed last year by Trump, on the channel's request for an order reinstating Jim Acosta's White House pass.

In the emergency hearing CNN's lawyer Ted Boutrous asked the judge for a temporary order allowing Acosta to get his pass back ahead of a full hearing.

He argued banning Acosta violated the constitution's First Amendment guarantee of a free press because it was "based on the viewpoint of Mr. Acosta" and not his behavior.

"They don't like the reporting" of the CNN White House reporter, the lawyer said.

US Justice Department lawyer James Burnham echoed comments filed in a legal brief earlier in the day for the administration, saying that "there is no First Amendment right to access the White House" and that the rationale behind the decision was that Acosta "disrupted" a news conference last week.

Judge Kelly said he would issue his decision at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT) Thursday.

CNN's suit was backed by a broad coalition of media groups including Fox, which is controlled by Trump ally Rupert Murdoch and often draws praise from the president.

Fox said earlier Wednesday the banning of Acosta raises concerns over press freedom.

"Fox News supports CNN in its legal effort to regain its White House reporter's press credential," the news channel's president Jay Wallace said in a statement, indicating it would join an amicus brief on supporting CNN.

"Secret Service passes for working White House journalists should never be weaponized," he said.

"While we don't condone the growing antagonistic tone by both the president and the press at recent media avails, we do support a free press, access and open exchanges for the American people."