Professor of Law Roy Gutterman L’00 spoke with USA Today on the White House’s ban on specific news outlets and its First Amendment implications.
"It’s one thing to deny access. It’s another thing to deny access because you don’t like the outlet," said Gutterman, Professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communication and Director of the Tully Center for Free Speech.
The news outlets’ Sept. 21 federal complaint pointed to Sherrill v. Knight, a 1970s case in which a federal appeals court ruled the White House cannot arbitrarily deny press passes to reporters based on the content of their coverage if the White House has voluntarily opened its doors to media and established facilities for the press.
"It’s not an absolute prohibition on this sort of action, but it is strong precedent," Gutterman said.