The White House Correspondents’ Association says the move ‘undermines the independence of a free press’ in the US.
The White House has announced that it will now decide which journalists and media organizations can participate in press pools covering President Donald Trump’s administration, a decision that critics have condemned as an attack on press freedom.
The press pool system, which prioritizes select television, radio, wire, print, and photojournalists for coverage of smaller events, has been dominated for decades by journalists from outlets such as CNN, Reuters, ABC News, Fox News, and The New York Times.
Trump administration spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that those outlets will retain access. However, she added that the administration will now extend access to other outlets, taking control away from the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which previously managed the rotation of the press pool.
“For decades, a group of DC-based journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association, has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the president of the United States in these most intimate spaces. No more,” Leavitt said during a news briefing.
“Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team,” Leavitt continued, noting that streaming services will also be included in the pool’s rotation.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels criticized the Trump administration for not providing any advance notice of the decision, which he argued “undermines 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 select their own press corps,” Daniels said in a statement.
“But the WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency, and the right of the American public to read, listen to, and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor,” he added.
When questioned about the decision during a gathering of reporters in the Oval Office later on Tuesday, Trump responded, “We’re going to be calling the shots now.”
At the same event, Trump criticized The Associated Press (AP) over an ongoing dispute regarding its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” – the new name the president has given to the Gulf of Mexico.
In mid-February, the Trump administration barred AP reporters from White House events for several consecutive days, accusing the news agency of spreading “lies” for its refusal to exclusively use “Gulf of America.”
“AP has been terrible. I think they’re radical left. I think they’re third-rate reporters,” Trump said on Tuesday.
“I know the person, that specific young lady who works on the account, is terrible. She’s a radical left lunatic, as far as I’m concerned,” he added.
On Monday, US District Judge Trevor N. McFadden declined to order the White House to immediately restore The AP’s access to presidential events, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, where Trump regularly holds Q&A sessions.
McFadden stated that the issue required further examination before he could issue a ruling. He scheduled an additional hearing for March 30, and the ban remains in effect in the meantime.
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