The Associated Press (AP) expressed its objections on Tuesday against the Trump administration after one of its reporters was barred from an event due to the news organization’s policy on the use of the “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting, deeming the action a breach of the First Amendment.
On Tuesday morning, the White House requested that the AP revise its style guide to reference the body of water as Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico, as stated by AP executive editor Julie Pace. This name change was implemented after President Trump issued an executive order renaming the waterway to the Gulf of America last month. Later that day, Pace reported that the White House prevented an AP reporter from attending Mr. Trump’s signing of the executive order in the Oval Office.
“It is troubling that the Trump administration would penalize AP for its independent journalism. Restricting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s reporting not only significantly hinders the public’s access to unbiased news, it clearly violates the First Amendment,” Pace remarked.
When asked on Wednesday about which White House official made the decision to exclude the AP reporter, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, “It’s a privilege to cover this White House.”
“No one has the inherent right to enter the Oval Office and question the president of the United States. That privilege is granted on an invitation basis, and there are numerous outlets on this campus, many present in this room, that do not have the opportunity to be part of that pool on a daily basis and pose questions to the president,” she stated.
Typically, during coverage of the White House, pool reporters are chosen to represent a larger group of media organizations at events. It’s quite common for a restricted group of reporters to gain entry into the Oval Office.
However, it is unusual for a reporter to be excluded based on terminology that the administration wishes the news organization to adopt.
“Punishing journalists for not utilizing government-prescribed language is a concerning assault on press freedom,” remarked the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit advocating for First Amendment rights, in response to the White House’s actions. “This is viewpoint discrimination, which is unconstitutional. While President Trump possesses the authority to alter how the U.S. government references the Gulf, he cannot penalize a news organization for selecting a different term.”
On Wednesday, Leavitt stated, “It is a fact that the water body situated off the Louisiana coast is referred to as the Gulf of America, and I am unsure why news outlets resist using that name, but that is its designation.” She further commented, “It is crucial to this administration that we get this right, not just for the audience here at home but for the global community as well.”
The AP’s style guide, which is adopted by numerous newsrooms nationwide, issued an update on January 23, just two days following the president’s signing of the executive order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. The update clarified that Mr. Trump’s order is only valid within the United States and does not necessitate recognition from other nations.
“As a global news agency that disseminates news worldwide, the AP must ensure that geographic names and locations are relatable to all audiences,” the guidance states.
In his executive order, Mr. Trump also reverted the name of North America’s highest peak in Alaska, Denali, back to Mount McKinley. The AP’s guidelines indicate that it will be referencing it as Mount McKinley.
“The area is entirely within the United States, and as president, Trump has the authority to modify federal geographic names within the nation,” the AP explained.
