- More than 40 news organizations, including Fox News and Newsmax, sent a joint letter urging the White House to reinstate The Associated Press’ press privileges. The AP was barred from key events over a naming dispute involving the Gulf of Mexico.
- The dispute stems from President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which the AP declined to fully adopt in its reporting.
- The White House Correspondents Association and major news outlets argue that the ban violates press freedoms and sets a dangerous precedent for government interference in editorial decisions.
Full Story
More than 40 news organizations, including Fox News and Newsmax, have sent a joint letter to the White House requesting that the Trump administration reinstate The Associated Press’ press privileges. The AP’s access was restricted on Feb. 11 following a dispute over President Donald Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Media outlets send joint letter to White House
The letter was circulated by the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA). The letter calls on the administration to allow the AP to rejoin the White House press corps.
News organizations from across the political spectrum signed the letter. The letter included signatures from left-leaning outlets like CNN, NPR, ABC, CBS and NBC News, and right-leaning organizations such as Fox News and Newsmax.
In the 20 days since the ban, the AP has been barred from key White House events. Some events the AP has been excluded from include presidential trips on Air Force One, Oval Office executive order signings, and press briefings, such as one with India’s prime minister on Feb. 13.
What was written inside the letter?
The joint letter has not been publicly released, but some outlets shared excerpts.
One portion reads: “The decision to exclude The Associated Press from covering the president aboard Air Force One and in the Oval Office is an escalation of a dispute that does not serve the presidency or the public. News organizations must be free to make their own editorial decisions without fear of government intrusion.”
Newsmax issued its own statement:
“We can understand President Trump’s frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax supports the AP’s right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting. We fear a future administration may not like something Newsmax writes and seek to ban us. This is why news organizations like Newsmax and Fox News are supporting the AP’s First Amendment rights though we may disagree with its editorial point of view from time to time.”
The root of the controversy
The dispute began after President Trump signed an executive order officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The new name now appears in federal documents, maps and databases, including Apple and Google Maps in the U.S.
The AP responded with updated style guidance. The new guidance stated that, “The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.”
President Trump addressed the AP ban on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
“The Associated Press refuses to go with what the law is and what’s taken place. It’s called the Gulf of America now, it’s not called the Gulf of Mexico any longer,” Trump said. “The Associated Press, as you know, has been very, very wrong on the election, Trump, the treatment of Trump and conservatives. They’re doing us no favors, and I’m not doing them any favors. That’s the way life works.”
Efforts to resolve the conflict
Following Trump’s remarks, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in Florida to discuss the AP’s White House privileges. The outcome of that meeting remains unclear, as does whether the joint media letter will prompt the White House to reinstate the AP’s access.
