What is the White House press pool, and how does it work?

The White House press pool has come under scrutiny after the administration barred three outlets — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — from participating, following complaints from President Donald Trump about their coverage, according to Al Jazeera.

The press pool is a rotating group of journalists who cover the president's day-to-day activities on behalf of the wider press corps, particularly in settings with limited space, such as the Oval Office, Air Force One or small venues that cannot accommodate every accredited reporter.

Pool reports produced by the small group of journalists are then shared with all other outlets holding White House credentials, ensuring that news organizations without a seat in a given room still receive timely, firsthand accounts of presidential events.

The system has traditionally been organized by the White House Correspondents' Association in coordination with the White House press office, though the current administration has taken a more direct role in determining which outlets participate on a given day.

The removal of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the rotation has raised concerns among press freedom advocates about the White House's ability to control access based on the tone of an outlet's coverage, a dynamic Al Jazeera's report says has become more pronounced under the Trump administration.