AP excoriates White House barring of reporters as ‘alarming precedent’ | Trump administration

Executive Editor for Associated Press She sent a message to the White House on Wednesday criticizing its decision to prevent two journalists from attending press events on Tuesday after the port refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in the name of “The Gulf of America”.

“I am writing on behalf of the Associated Press, an independent international news organization of up to billions of people every day, to object to the strongest possible conditions on the measures taken by the Trump administration against AP yesterday,” Julie Pace, AP executive, written in letter Addressed to Suzy Wales, Chief of Staff of the White House.

“The issue here is freedom of expression – an essential pillar of American democracy and a value of utmost importance to all Americans, regardless of political persuasion, occupation or industry.”

Pace said that TuesdayThe White House prevented AP journalists from attending two press events with Donald Trump, “following a clear complaint about AP’s editing decisions regarding the Gulf of Mexico, which President Trump called the Gulf of America.”

Associated Press He said In updating a guide to January, they will continue to refer to the body of water that limits both the United States and Mexico “its original name, while recognizing the new name chosen by Trump.”

The agency stated that Trump’s order to change the name that was carried only within the United States, and that other countries, including Mexico, had no need to learn about changing the name.

“The Gulf of Mexico carried this name for more than 400 years,” AP wrote, adding that “as a global news agency publishes news around the world, AP must ensure that the names of places and geography can be easily identified for all the masses.”

Piece said that during a meeting on Tuesday, Caroline Levitt, the White House press secretary, told AP that AP’s arrival to “the oval office would be restricted if AP did not immediately link the editorial standards with President Trump’s executive order.”

Piece said, when AP did not violate the demands, White House employees prevented AP correspondent from attending an executive order signed in the Oval Office, and then, another AP correspondent from attending a press event in the diplomatic reception room.

“The measures taken by the White House were clearly aimed at punishing the AP for the content of its discourse,” Piece wrote. “It is among the most important principles of the first amendment that the government cannot take revenge on the public or the press for what they say.”

She added: “This is discrimination in the view based on the options for editing a news organization and a clear violation of the first amendment.”

Pace said that as of Wednesday, it was not clear whether the White House was aimed at imposing these arrival restrictions against AP correspondents on a continuous basis, and urged the administration to “end this practice.”

“The primary role of the press is to serve as the eyes and ears of the audience,” she said, adding that “when journalists are prevented from doing their work, it is the American public who is suffering.”

She also puts an “worrying precedent” that has the ability to influence every news outlet, and thus “heavily limits the public’s right to know what is happening within their government.”

She wrote, “ready to defend strongly for her constitutional rights and protest against the public’s right to independent news coverage of their government and elected officials,” she wrote.

On Wednesday, Levitt was asked about the White House official who made a decision to grant AP correspondents.

“It is the honor to cover this White House” and “no one has the right to go to the Oval Office and ask the head of the United States questions. This is an invitation to be submitted.”

“We reserve the right to determine who will go to the Oval Office,” Levitte told the press briefing hall.

“If we feel that there are lies paid by outlets in this room, we will bear these lies, which is the fact that the body of the water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I am not sure that the news outlets are unwilling to call it, but this is what it is.”

“It is very important for this administration to obtain this right,” she added.

The guardian called the White House for additional comment.