Three news outlets' reporters denied White House access as Donald Trump labels them ‘fake news’

Three US media outlets say they have been denied access to the White House, with reporters from CNN and MS NOW both going live to report about the circumstances of the ban imposed by US President Donald Trump .

The actions escalated Trump’s efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable.

Trump said on Friday he would ban both organisations and Politico from the White House because of their coverage, calling them “fake news” outlets.

“We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account,” it said.

The statement was shown on the air on Saturday morning before senior White House reporter Betsy Klein began to report on her ban.

MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner was also turned away and her entry badge confiscated, she said on air on Saturday morning.

She noted she had walked through two gates successfully but once she got to where her badge needed to be scanned, an officer told her it was disabled and asked her to hand it over.

An MS NOW producer was able to get in but a photographer’s badge was also disabled, Gardner said.

Politico, whose journalists typically are not at the White House on Saturdays, said later in the day that its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry and had her badge confiscated.

Politico editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger said in a statement to the Politico newsroom: “We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House ... We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights”.

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in its own statement.

“MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

Trump wrote on his social media site on Friday that effective immediately, “I am banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico “from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”.

Minutes later, speaking at an event in the Oval Office, Trump was asked to explain his statement.