“Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team. Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join. Fear not, but we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House would now determine which journalists are allowed in the White House press pool, sidelining the Associated Press from select events including the Oval Office and Air Force One coverage.
The White House claims the move will expand access to new media voices, but critics, including the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), are calling it a direct attack on press freedom.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels responded, saying “This move tears at 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 choose their own press corps.”
This move tears at the independence of a free press. Leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.
The decision follows a dispute between the White House and the AP over the administration’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In response, the White House says the AP’s press pool spot will be reassigned to other outlets.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
