WASHINGTON — HuffPost announced Monday that it would not publish photographs taken by members of the White House still-photography pool, joining other outlets protesting the Trump administration’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access. The broader protest also included major TV networks halting pool video coverage.

Canton Cat read the statement twice.

Then a third time.

Then I checked to make sure I had not accidentally licked antifreeze.

The message appears to be:

“We are deeply committed to informing the public, so today we will be withholding information from the public.”

Outstanding.

Journalism has finally achieved performance art.

HuffPost says it remains committed to a free and independent press.

Excellent.

Nothing screams independence like several giant news organizations simultaneously deciding:

“Nobody publish the pictures.”

The Washington Post and New York Times also joined the photo protest, while ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC halted pool video coverage after CNN was removed from its scheduled pool role.

So for one glorious day, America experienced the media’s newest product:

PREMIUM NEWS WITHOUT THE NEWS

Features include:

Articles without photographs.

Television without television.

Reporters protesting limited access by voluntarily limiting access.

Coming next:

Weather Channel refuses to show radar until clouds respect democracy.

ESPN boycotts touchdowns until the referees apologize.

Food Network stops showing food in solidarity with appetizers.

HuffPost executives reportedly gathered around a conference table and asked:

“How do we demonstrate the indispensable value of professional journalism?”

A young editor timidly raised his hand.

“Do more journalism?”

Security escorted him from the building.

The White House, meanwhile, had its own technical masterpiece Monday. With the television pool absent, the administration relied on its own feed for a helipad ceremony, where portions of Trump’s remarks were difficult to hear.

Thus both sides successfully demonstrated their competing visions for the future of American media:

White House: You may watch, but apparently not hear.

Press: You may read, but apparently not see.

Canton Cat Media proudly announces our compromise:

You get the entire story, but I occasionally cough up a hairball over the editorial page.

Media organizations insist the protest concerns a serious principle: whether a White House can exclude outlets based on disfavored coverage. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued, arguing the bans violate constitutional protections; the administration says White House access is a privilege rather than a right.

Fine.

That fight belongs in court.

But somewhere along the way, journalism executives apparently decided the strongest argument for press access was:

“Observe how much less information you receive when we choose not to use ours.”

That’ll show ’em.

By Tuesday, Canton Cat expects the escalation to continue.

HuffPost will stop using nouns.

The Times will publish entirely in invisible ink.

CNN will broadcast from inside a refrigerator.

Politico will release a 9,000-word newsletter explaining why the newsletter cannot be read.

And the Washington Post will replace its homepage with a single black square saying:

DEMOCRACY DIES IN BANDWIDTH.

I asked one final question:

“If withholding photographs is journalism, what happens if nobody clicks?”

Nobody answered.

Probably in solidarity.