Associated Press, Reuters rip Trump White House for cutting wire service slot in press pool
The Associated Press and Reuters released sharply critical statements of the Trump White House this week in response to news that it was cutting traditional wire service slots in the rotating pool.
"We are deeply disappointed that the administration has chosen to restrict the access of all wire services, whose fast and accurate White House coverage informs billions of people every single day, rather than reinstate The Associated Press to the wire pool," AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said, according to reports.
"The wire services represent thousands of news organizations across the U.S. and the world over," Easton added. "Our coverage is used by local newspapers and television stations in all 50 states to inform their communities. The administration’s actions continue to disregard the fundamental American freedom to speak without government control or retaliation. This is a grave disservice to the American people."
Wire services are outlets like the AP, Reuters and Agence France-Presse that provide news reports to news outlet subscribers. It is common to see AP and other wire service stories reprinted in other publications.
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The New York Post reported Tuesday that the White House had stripped wire reporters of their guaranteed daily access to the president, following the AP winning in court after being excluded from the press pool for defying the administration's renaming of the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America."
In its report about the decision, the AP said it was "the latest attempt by the new administration to control coverage of its activities."
Reuters was also harshly critical of the change.
"Reuters news coverage reaches billions of people each day, mostly through the thousands of news organizations around the world that subscribe to Reuters services. It is essential to democracy that the public have access to independent, impartial and accurate news about their government. Any steps by the U.S. government to limit access to the President threatens that principle, both for the public and the world’s media," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
"We remain committed to covering the White House in an impartial, accurate and independent way, in keeping with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles."
Now, the White House will instead set aside a second slot for "print" outlets that also includes wire services, as part of the rotating pool covering Trump for limited-space events, the New York Post reported. It has been traditional for either the AP, Reuters or another wire outlet to have a guaranteed spot in limited pool events covering the president because of their expansive readerships.
It's the latest tension to emerge between the communications office, led by press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, and the AP. Earlier this week, the AP accused the White House of violating a court order after its representatives were once again banned from an Oval Office event.
This decision came despite U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ruling last week that the White House had violated the Constitution by blocking the longtime publication’s access to press events.
The White House has touted that President Donald Trump has been far more accessible than predecessor Joe Biden in terms of taking questions from the media during his brief time in office.
A White House official shared a memo with Fox News Digital about Leavitt's criteria for selecting the White House press pool. It consists of one print journalist to serve as the "print pooler," an additional print journalist, a television network crew (ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC), a secondary television network or streaming service, a radio journalist, a "new media" or independent journalist, and four photojournalists.
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Wire services like the AP and Reuters will be eligible for selection as part of the daily print journalist rotation, the official said. Also, outlets will be eligible for participation regardless of "the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet."
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Fox News Digital reached out to the AP and Reuters for additional comment.
Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.