On Wednesday, amid President Donald Trump‘s ongoing push to ban select news outlets from the White House, CNN aired a new promo with the tagline “Freedom of the press is not optional,” quoting former presidents who valued press freedom.
The 60-second promo featured quotes from former presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, interspersed with video of prominent CNN anchors and reporters on location in the White House, Capitol Hill, and other global locations.
The new spot arrives at a crucial moment for CNN, which, along with MS NOW and Politico, received good news late Tuesday night after a preliminary injunction from Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the White House press ban likely violated the First Amendment.
The three news outlets can continue reporting indefinitely from the White House as the case moves through the courts, with an appeal coming from the Trump administration.
In response to the court’s injunction, CNN CEO Mark Thompson sent a memo to staffers addressing Tuesday night’s ruling, saying the network will never back down from protecting its press freedom rights. He added, “We will be patient, and no matter how long it takes, we will continue to protect our liberties.”
He also thanked all employees involved during this process, encouraging staffers to view and share the new promo, produced internally by the network’s marketing team.
Thompson is making himself a more visible figure in this First Amendment fight, appearing on Wednesday morning’s edition of CNN News Central, where anchor Kate Bolduan interviewed him.
He reiterated CNN’s position throughout this process, saying, “No matter how many court cases, investigations, court appearances, and all the expense that that entails, we will fight this one to the end.”
