WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press and the Trump administration were set to appear before a federal appeals court Monday in their fight over media access, with the AP arguing the news outlet should not be punished for its views and the White House insisting the president determine who can question him in the Oval Office.
The AP sued three Trump administration officials, including White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt, in February after its reporters were barred from the “pool” of journalists who closely follow the president. He said the administration's actions were in response to AP's institutional decision to continue using the term “Gulf of Mexico” as the default style after Trump renamed it “American Gulf.”
Within a year, the case was heard in federal district court, and later in the federal appeals court.
Julie Pace, the AP's executive editor, wrote in an article Monday morning that the issue of access is not just an AP issue; it's about people's access to a government that works for them.
“When we talk about freedom of the press, we're really talking about your freedom. Reporters ask questions, photographers take pictures, and video journalists record the story on your behalf so you are informed about things you don't have time to dig up, watch or find out on your own,” Pace wrote.
“Allowing the government to control which journalists can cover the highest offices in the land and to set rules about what those journalists can say or write is a direct attempt to undermine the First Amendment,” Pace wrote. “This should concern us all.”
The Trump administration says the decision on access to areas where space is limited rests with the White House, not the press. The White House Correspondents' Association has been deciding who will be in the press pool since the Eisenhower administration. The White House renewed the tradition in February, saying it wanted to expand access to include other news outlets.
“If AP wants to suggest that the White House does not have the authority to restrict who can engage in news-gathering activities from sensitive areas of the White House, it is legally mistaken,” the administration said in its supporting statement.
This spring, a lower court ruled that the government could not retaliate against a news organization for its speech, but an appeals court put a hold on any response to the decision until an appeal was filed.
AP style also recommends recognizing Trump's renaming of the Persian Gulf. The president said AP's access would remain restricted until it changed its style.
Nearly four dozen print organizations and news outlets, from ProPublica to Fox News Channel, as well as The New York Times and The Washington Post, filed a statement in support of the AP.
“When any news outlet freezes… the press and the public at large lose, no matter how many reporters or cameras remain in the room,” the media said.
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David Bauder covers media for The Associated Press.
