Freedom of Press under threat? White House will pick which journalists get the 'privilege' to cover Trump
World Trending News | The White House announced it will control access to Donald Trump, deciding which journalists can cover him, raising concerns about press freedom.
The White House on Tuesday (Feb 25) announced that it will take control over which "very privileged" news organisations and journalists are permitted to cover Donald Trump in the presidential press pool.
Addressing the press during a briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared, "The White House press team in this administration will determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office".
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Freedom of the press no more?
The move follows a legal victory for the Trump administration, which secured a temporary ruling to block the Associated Press (AP) from access after the outlet refused to comply with Trump's demand to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America".
Traditionally, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has overseen the press pool, ensuring a rotating group of journalists covers the president in exclusive settings. However, Leavitt argued that the WHCA "should no longer have a monopoly" over access, insisting that while long-established "legacy media outlets" would retain a presence, "new voices are going to be welcomed in as well."
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Also read | Trump blocked THIS news agency from Modi press conference amid 'Gulf of Mexico/America' naming dispute
Retaliation over Gulf renaming dispute?
Last month, soon after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order instructing the US Interior Department to rename the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America".
While even Google complied with the order, displaying the new name for users in America, the AP said it would maintain the use of the Gulf's long-established name in its reporting while acknowledging the Trump administration's efforts to change it.
The response from the White House was swift. AP journalists were banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One, with officials accusing the agency of "irresponsible and dishonest reporting."
Associated Press sought to restore its access via courts, but its appeal was rejected by US District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, on Monday (Feb 24).
The judge dismissed concerns that the ban infringed on the US Constitution's First Amendment rights against government abridgement of speech.
Leavitt hailed the court's ruling, stating that the administration wants "more outlets and new outlets to cover the press pool".
"It's beyond time the White House press pool reflects the media habits of the American people in 2025," she said.
The WHCA expressing alarm warned that the decision "tears at the independence of a free press in the United States".
"It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps," said WHCA president, Eugene Daniels.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also slammed the move, calling it "a drastic change in how the public obtains information about its government."
"The White House press pool exists to serve the public, not the presidency," noted the group's president, Bruce Brown.
(With inputs from agencies)
