USA: RSF welcomes court ruling to reinstate AP’s White House access
On April 9, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Associated Press (AP) news agency and reinstated its access to White House events. The U.S. government is expected to appeal the ruling, which will take effect April 13. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes this decision to uphold press freedom and prevent the Trump administration from retaliating against the media and attempting to violate their editorial independence.
The White House barred the AP from its events on February 11 because the news agency continued to use the term “Gulf of Mexico,” which President Trump renamed “Gulf of America” in an executive order. The measure aimed to punish the independent news agency because it did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda — a blatant violation of press freedom under the First Amendment.
That’s what the judge argued in his decision on April 9. Judge McFadden wrote in his ruling, “if the Government opens its doors to some journalists …it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoint.” However, President Trump can deny AP’s request for more intimate access, such as one-on-one interviews. This order will not be enforced until April 13, allowing the government time to appeal the decision.
“The First Amendment protects news outlets from government interference in editorial decisions, as the court has reaffirmed. The Trump administration’s attempts to undermine the Constitution failed this time, but they continue to pose a threat to press freedom and prevent the media from doing their job: covering the government fully and fairly.”
Clayton Weimers
Executive Director, RSF USA
Trump’s ongoing war on journalism
The AP trial is just one of many recent attacks against independent outlets. On March 26, Trump allies in the House of Representatives interrogated the heads of public broadcasters NPR and PBS as part of an attempt to defund public media. RSF submitted a letter for the public record affirming the value of the American public media and their vital role in bringing news to rural communities.
On March 14, Trump signed an executive order dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the federal agency funding several vital international broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). The next day, VOA employees were placed on administrative leave, violating the rights of VOA journalists and USAGM’s legally required functions. To stop the Trump administration from dismantling the public service broadcaster, RSF and a coalition of VOA employees and their unions brought a case against USAGM, its Senior Advisor Kari Lake and Acting CEO Victor Morales. On March 28, the coalition secured its first court victory when a U.S. judge granted a request for a temporary restraining order against USAGM, halting any future decisions that could further jeopardize the outlet.
