Media coalition to White House: Restore AP access to press pool

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, joined by more than 30 news media organizations, is asking the White House to restore the Associated Press’s pool participation and ensure that future access to White House events is not predicated on improper considerations or disagreement with editorial choices.

In a letter sent to the White House on Monday, the media coalition expressed particular concern with the exclusion of the AP from President Donald Trump’s news conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the White House’s decision to bar all AP reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One. The AP’s ongoing exclusion from pool events is in response to its decision to continue using Gulf of Mexico when referring to the body of water that Trump recently renamed the Gulf of America, though the news outlet’s style guide states that it will acknowledge the new name Trump has chosen. 

“Conditioning pool access to White House events on the editorial decisions of any news organization violates First Amendment principles,” the letter states. “All news organizations covering the White House are negatively affected when one peer outlet is singled out in a manner that crosses a constitutional line.”

The letter demonstrates broad support for the AP among news media organizations, complementing a letter from the White House Correspondents Association also sent on Monday. Together, the letters have gathered more than 50 news organizations in support of the AP.