The White House limited AP reporters’ access in response to the news agency’s refusal to adopt ‘Gulf of America.’
The Trump administration has announced that it was restricting Associated Press journalists’ access to certain areas frequented by the president, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, part of a continuing demonstration of President Donald Trump’s frustration with his treatment by the media.
AP News sent an email to subscriber organizations on Jan. 23 with a notification that it would continue to use “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America,” the Trump administration’s new name for the body of water.
The White House restriction was announced on Feb. 14, with the administration citing the dispute.
“The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said in a statement on social media.
The president has been vocal about his frustration with many in the media since the start of his political career in 2015, when he announced his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election. Trump has frequently gone so far as to call out those in the media specifically, as well as taking on companies at large.
The AP’s decision has a particularly wide-reaching impact because its newswriting standards are frequently used as a default style. Many news agencies use AP Style with specific modifications where the organization has a different preferred term.
Because of the wire service’s influence, its decision not to switch to “Gulf of America” will likely hinder the the term’s normalization.
Following the White House decision, AP journalists and photographers will retain their credentials for the White House complex but will be restricted from some areas.
Budowich also said that “the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration” could now have the opportunity to gain access.
