Latest news with #Stylebook
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Associated Press says its reporters were blocked from Oval Office event despite court order on White House access
Washington — The Associated Press said its reporters were prevented from attending an Oval Office event with President Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele even though a federal judge had ordered the White House to restore the news outlet's access as of Monday. An AP spokesperson said in a statement that its "journalists were blocked from the Oval Office" on Monday despite the order requiring the White House to rescind its restrictions on the AP's access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and other places where space is limited when they're open to other members of the White House press pool. The AP also reported that one of its reporters was not allowed to attend an event on the South Lawn of the White House recognizing the Ohio State University's championship football team that was open to credentialed media, though two AP photographers were permitted to cover it. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled last week that the White House cannot deny AP journalists access to spaces made available to the pool or events open to all credentialed members of the White House press corps because of its refusal to use the name Gulf of America in its Stylebook and reporting. McFadden, who was appointed to the federal bench by Mr. Trump in his first term, put his order on hold until Monday. The Trump administration has appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. A panel of three judges is set to consider Thursday whether to grant the administration's request to pause the district court's decision — which would reinstate the restrictions on the AP — while it considers the appeal. The AP spokesperson said in the statement that the outlet expects "the White House to restore AP's participation in the pool as of [Monday], as provided in the injunction order." The White House did not return a request for comment. The AP, which says its news reporting reaches roughly 4 billion people daily, filed its lawsuit against three senior White House officials after it was informed in February that it would no longer be allowed in places like the Oval Office and on Air Force One as part of the press pool until the AP revised its influential Stylebook to use the name Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico. The Stylebook is a writing and editing guide that is used by newspapers, magazines and other media outlets throughout the country. It covers a wide range of topics, from abbreviations of state names to describing ages to jargon used in different sports. In addition to being denied admittance to the press pool, AP reporters have also been turned away from larger events open to the broader White House press corps, the outlet said in court papers. Mr. Trump signed an executive order renaming the body of water in January. But the AP said it would not update its Stylebook, which is used in newsrooms worldwide, to reflect the change because the president's directive only carries authority within the U.S. The AP said that as an international news agency, it "must ensure that places, names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences." McFadden last week said that the White House likely violated the First Amendment when it excluded the AP from press events because of its refusal to change the Gulf of Mexico's name in its Stylebook. The judge stressed that he is not ordering the Trump administration to grant the AP permanent access to the Oval Office, East Room or other media events, and noted that the AP is not entitled to the permanent press pool access it previously enjoyed. But McFadden wrote that the AP "cannot be treated worse than its peer wire services either. The court merely declares that the AP's exclusion has been contrary to the First Amendment, and it enjoins the government from continuing down that unlawful path." "The AP seeks restored eligibility for admission to the press pool and limited-access press events, untainted by an impermissible viewpoint-based exclusion," he wrote. "That is all the court orders today: For the government to put the AP on an equal playing field as similarly situated outlets, despite the AP's use of disfavored terminology." As a news wire service, the AP is a regular participant in the White House press pool, which is a group of rotating reporters, videographers and photographers who cover the president daily and travel with him when he leaves the White House grounds. One iteration of the press pool, which attends most White House events in the Oval Office and other small spaces, has 21 members. The smallest iteration, which travels with the president aboard Air Force One, has 13 members. The AP typically had two of the 13 core spots in the press pool. While the White House Correspondents' Association historically oversaw the composition of the pool, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in February that the White House would choose which credentialed journalists would make up the press pool.
The Hill
11-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
AP reporter spars with White House over tariffs
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday clashed with a reporter with The Associated Press over President Trump's use of tariffs after granting them a rare question during a White House press briefing. Leavitt faced a slew of questions about Trump's widespread use of tariffs on imports, which have rattled financial markets and sparked fears of a recession. At one point, Leavitt called on an Associated Press reporter who asked Leavitt why the president was proposing 'tax hikes in the form of tariffs' as opposed to the tax cuts he promised on the campaign trail. 'He's actually not implementing tax hikes. Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that, again, have been ripping us off,' Leavitt said. 'Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people, and the president is a staunch advocate for tax cuts.' AP's reporter in the room, Josh Boak, then responded: 'I'm sorry, have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They don't get charged on foreign companies, they get charged on importers.' Leavitt dug in on arguing that tariffs would lead to increased wages and revenues for Americans, then shot back at Boak. 'I think it's insulting that you're trying to test my knowledge of economics, and the decision that this president has made,' Leavitt said. 'I now regret giving a question to The Associated Press.' The testy exchange came amid a fight between the White House and the AP over access. The White House has blocked AP reporters and photographers from the pool of journalists that cover the president, and from attending certain events inside the White House. The AP has been part of the press pool, which disseminates information about the president to the wider public, for decades. Leavitt has also not called on AP's reporters during press briefings in the weeks since the outlet was banned. The spat stems from the AP's decision not to fully adopt the name 'Gulf of America' instead of Gulf of Mexico into its widely influential Stylebook, used my news media organizations across the U.S. That followed Trump's executive order declaring the name change upon taking office. A federal judge last month declined to restore AP's access at the White House. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of Trump during his first term, emphasized that additional briefing on the matter is necessary 'given the stakes' for both parties. He set an expedited schedule and ordered arguments on a preliminary injunction for March 20.
The Hill
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Judge declines to restore AP access to White House amid ‘Gulf of America' dispute
A federal judge on Monday declined to restore The Associated Press's access to certain spaces open to the media at the White House, including the Oval Office amid the Trump administration's battle against the wire service over its refusal to use 'Gulf of America' in its popular stylebook. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of President Trump during his first term, said at a hearing in Washington, D.C. that the AP failed to show a likelihood of success on the merits and emphasized that additional briefing on the matter is necessary 'given the stakes' for both parties. He set an expedited schedule and ordered arguments on a preliminary injunction for March 20. The AP sued three White House officials Friday for restricting its reporters' access to the Oval Office and Air Force One over the organizations refusal to change its Stylebook guidelines to use 'Gulf of America' in its AP Stylebook, after Trump said he was renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The Stylebook is used by news organizations across the industry for spelling, grammar and guidelines for how to refer to certain people and places in an effort for such references to be widely understood both in the U.S. and worldwide. The wire service said in court filings its reporters have been barred since Feb. 11, a 'targeted attack' on its editorial independence and ability to report news about the president. The lawsuit indicated the AP has been at the forefront of doing so since its creation more than a century ago. Charles Tobin, a lawyer for the AP, said singling out the outlet, which is known for its influential AP Stylebook, served the administrations goals of 'changing the national vocabulary.' He called it an attempt to 'coerce them to change how they report the news,' contending that the president could choose not to answer AP's questions but couldn't block them from the White House pool or other press corps events altogether. Tobin also indicated that AP's access has been continually restricted since the initial order barring their print journalists from the Oval Office. Now, AP's photographers are banned, and AP journalists have been blocked from attending other broader access events, he said. 'The ground seems to keep shifting,' he said. McFadden questioned the lawyer over the White House Correspondents Association's role in deciding who's allowed in the pool, calling it 'a little odd' the White House is bound by the organization's decision making and, at one point, suggesting it could 'decide to throw out' the group altogether. However, when questioning the Justice Department, the judge indicated that the White House's block on AP seems to 'pretty clearly' be 'viewpoint discrimination.' DOJ lawyer Brian Hudak said the case is a question of whether the president gets to decide who gets 'special access' to him. The AP, he said, has historically received 'extra special access,' given its unchanging pool assignments for one photographer and one print reporter. There are 13 White House pool slots, most of which rotate. Taylor Budowich, the White House deputy chief of staff and one of the Trump officials named in AP's suit in a statement said the news outlet's policy is 'not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press' commitment to misinformation.' 'While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One,' Budowich said. The AP builds its reputation as being a nonpartisan news agency that operates in state capitals across the country and in bureaus around the world. In its Stylebook guidance, the organization does suggest using the 'Gulf of Mexico' to describe the body of water as to not confuse its global audience, while also explaining Trump's changing of the name to 'Gulf of America' after he took office. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is also named in the suit, said during a speech last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference of the AP 'we'll see them in court,' and the said the administration feels it is 'in the right in this position.' Last week, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace traveled to Florida to meet with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a third official named in the outlet's suit and who insisted to Pace the outlet consider revising its style on the body of water. Wiles told Pace she would speak with the president about the matter, the lawsuit states. Several press freedom groups and the White House Correspondents Association have rallied behind the AP and urged the Trump administration to reconsider. The spat with AP is being widely seen across media and political observers as a major escalation of the anti-press rhetoric on the part of the president. It is also seen as a mechanism to pressure the industry as a whole to adhere to language to Trump's likening. Trump has also threatened to use the power of the federal government to scrutinize major broadcasters and media companies over editorial coverage. Trump during a press conference last week doubled down on his decision regarding the AP calling the wire service 'obsolete' and saying, 'they're doing us no favors, and I guess I'm not doing them any favors, That's the way life works.'
