DOMINANT ANGLE
Oslo is particularly taking note of the collective response from American television channels, more so than the judicial battle unfolding around the First Amendment.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The television pool leader sent a letter to the White House press corps announcing the end of joint coverage of Trump, according to Washington Post and New York Times cited by Aftenposten and VG.
- 02
Donald Trump announced on Friday on Truth Social that he wants to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing them of reporting "fake news".
- 03
Correspondents Akayla Gardner (MS NOW) and Betsy Klein (CNN), as well as journalist Cheyenne Haslett (Politico), had their accreditation revoked and were denied access on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Oslo, September 22, 2026. Norway's capital is witnessing a significant development in the US media landscape, as major American television networks have announced that they are suspending their joint coverage of President Donald Trump, according to reports by Aftenposten and VG, citing the Washington Post and the New York Times. The decision follows the ban on access to the White House for several media outlets. The head of the television pool, the structure that organizes the joint broadcasting of presidential images, has sent a letter to the White House press corps to announce the halt of collective coverage "until further notice".
The origin of the dispute dates back to Friday, September 18, when Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he wanted to exclude CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of reporting "fake news". The President wrote that the media should no longer be able to "constantly write or report fiction and lies" when covering the administration or the United States. On Saturday, September 19, the three newsrooms saw their accreditations withdrawn.
The MS NOW correspondent at the White House, Akayla Gardner, was turned away and her badge confiscated. The channel stated that it wants to "take all necessary measures to defend our rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and the crucial role of independent journalism in our democracy". CNN correspondent Betsy Klein suffered the same fate; the channel qualifies the episode as an "illegal attack" on its rights. Politico reports that its journalist Cheyenne Haslett was also blocked at the site entrance.
For the Norwegian press, the episode is first and foremost a test of solidarity between competing media outlets: the major networks, none of which were directly targeted by the ban, are nonetheless choosing to suspend their joint coverage rather than continuing to operate as if nothing had happened. Aftenposten and VG are relaying the information without editorial commentary, simply citing the Washington Post and the New York Times as primary sources, a sign of coverage that is still dependent on major American titles on this issue.
The appeal to the First Amendment, invoked by MS NOW, situates the dispute on a legal terrain that the Norwegian press mentions without detailing the ongoing judicial procedure. The emphasis is on the collective gesture of the networks rather than the outcome of a potential trial.
