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By Staff Writer with Agencies
The relationship between the U.S. presidency and the press continues to deteriorate. After barring the Associated Press from attending restricted presidential events, the White House has announced that it will now select the journalists who will closely follow President Donald Trump. This marks a radical shift, erasing the long-standing system in place for decades where media outlets chose their reporters.
This change could be detrimental to press independence, according to several media organizations.
“It’s over!” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared, announcing the changes to a system that had been in place since 1914.
“Power is being returned to the people,” Leavitt stated, arguing that “hundreds” of journalists should have the privilege of covering the President. She acknowledged that traditional media outlets would still be allowed to participate in events, but emphasized the White House’s intent to include opinion-based media in the group of journalists granted access to President Trump’s events.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) was not informed in advance and condemned the decision in a statement, asserting that “in a free country, leaders do not choose the media.”
Until now, the WHCA was responsible for selecting the 13 journalists who could travel aboard Air Force One and those permitted in the White House press briefing room.
Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, compared the decision to the Kremlin’s control of the press in Russia.
In response, Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump had met with journalists in the Oval Office for about an hour. However, the meeting did not go smoothly, as Trump reportedly offered all attendees a cap with the inscription: “Trump was right about everything.” Only one journalist accepted the cap.
Additionally, the Associated Press (AP), the largest news agency in the United States, has been banned from attending Trump’s restricted events.
The U.S. administration has demanded that the AP comply with the new name for the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump has now renamed the “Gulf of America.” The President justified the decision, calling AP journalists “far-left extremists” and “second-tier reporters.”
This latest move signals a significant shift in White House media access policies, raising concerns among journalists and media organizations about press freedom under the Trump administration.
Staff Writers at Open Chronicle produce in-depth, field-informed reporting on defense, diplomacy, cultural transformation, and global affairs. Known for clarity, accuracy, and analytical depth, they connect breaking developments to broader historical and strategic contexts. In addition to frontline journalism, Staff Writers also contribute to the Open Chronicle Encyclopedia, crafting authoritative entries that preserve critical knowledge and enrich public understanding.