The White House announced plans on Tuesday to take control over determining which news outlets will have direct access to President Donald Trump, marking a significant shift from a long-standing tradition where an independent pool of reporters followed the president to ensure accountability. This decision is part of a broader effort by the administration to reshape media access to the presidency, a move that has raised concerns among free speech advocates.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that traditional outlets will be rotated out to make space for some streaming services, which she argued would modernize and democratize the press pool. Leavitt emphasized that this approach would increase accessibility for the “American people” who supported Trump’s election. However, media experts have warned that allowing the president to select reporters raises serious First Amendment issues. “The White House press team will decide who has privileged access to places like Air Force One and the Oval Office,” Leavitt stated during her daily briefing, highlighting a desire to challenge the supposed media monopoly in Washington, D.C.
The administration’s decision, influenced by a federal lawsuit involving The Associated Press (AP) over access, signals a dramatic departure from the historical precedent of journalists representing multiple platforms covering the president’s activities. Traditionally, journalists within the pool decided on representation for space-limited events, but the White House intends to exclude the AP from many of these events moving forward. Leavitt defended this decision, arguing it reflects contemporary media consumption patterns rather than those of past decades.
President Trump, at an Oval Office event, linked the AP’s legal battle with the new credentialing process, stating, “We’re going to be now calling those shots.” Media history experts have cautioned against the move, seeing it as potentially detrimental to democratic values. As Jon Marshall from Northwestern University points out, allowing a president to choose coverage ignores the public’s funding role in the White House’s operations.
Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, criticized the decision, arguing that government shouldn’t control press access. “This move undermines the freedom of the press in the U.S.,” Daniels said, highlighting the importance of independent media in a free society. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also expressed concern over the change, characterizing it as a significant shift in how governmental information is disseminated. “The White House press pool serves the public’s interest,” stated Bruce D. Brown, president of the group.
This development follows a federal judge’s refusal to reinstate the AP’s full access to presidential events immediately. The AP had filed a lawsuit citing First Amendment rights after it was restricted from certain events for not adhering to Trump’s request to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” While Trump inaccurately claimed victory in the court case, Judge Trevor N. McFadden indicated the prohibition needed further examination, despite not finding immediate harm to the AP. A subsequent court examination is slated for late March.
The controversy extends to other executive orders, such as Trump’s mandate to rename the U.S.’s tallest mountain from Denali to Mount McKinley, which the AP Stylebook has acknowledged as within his authority due to its location within the country. The AP maintains its style guidance for global clarity and consistency.
