The White House has put forward a new media policy that sharply curtails access to Donald Trump by the news agencies that serve media outlet
David Bauder at AP, via PBS News:
The Associated Press says that a new White House media policy violates a court order by giving the administration sole discretion over who gets to question President Donald Trump, and the news agency asked a federal judge on Wednesday to enforce that order. The swift move was in response to a policy issued late Tuesday by the White House, which suffered a courtroom loss last week over The Associated Press’ ability to cover Trump. The plans, the latest attempt by the new administration to control coverage of its activities, sharply curtail the access of three news agencies that serve billions of readers around the world. The AP filed Wednesday’s motion with U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, asking for relief “given defendant’s refusal to obey” his order last week. McFadden said the White House had violated the AP’s free speech by banning it from certain presidential events because Trump disagreed with the outlet’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Wednesday. Leavitt is a defendant in the AP’s lawsuit, along with White House chief of staff Susan Wiles and her deputy, Taylor Budowich. The AP’s lawsuit claimed that its First Amendment rights were violated by the White House blocking its reporters and photographers from covering Trump. McFadden ordered the administration to treat the AP as it does other news organizations.
Reframing who gets access to the president for questions
For many years, the independent White House Correspondents Association has run the pool for the limited space events, and each time it has included reporters from the wire services AP, Reuters and Bloomberg. One print reporter was also allowed, selected on a rotating basis from more than 30 news outlets. The White House now says it will lump the three wire services with print reporters for two slots — meaning roughly three dozen reporters will rotate for two regular slots. Wire services typically report and write stories that are used by different media outlets around the world. Even with the rotation, the White House said Trump’s press secretary “shall retain day-to-day discretion to determine composition of the pool.” The new policy says reporters will also be allowed in “irrespective of the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet.” Seeing their own access cut back along with the AP’s, representatives from Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters also protested the new policy.
In yet another escalation of the Trump Regime’s war on the press, access from wire services (AP, Reuters, Bloomberg) will be sharply curtailed and replaced with two spots shared with print reporters. This is just another ploy by the Trump Regime to control the message.
See Also:
Reuters: In latest media crackdown, White House limits newswire access to Trump
Politico, via Yahoo! News: White House shakes up press pool in apparent nod to court ruling












