The almost year-long battle between the Trump Administration and Associated Press has taken a new, international turn.
AP reporters were barred from traveling with
the White House press pool to Israel this past weekend and from the Knesset speech given by President Trump on Monday to celebrate the release of the surviving hostages.
The dispute had its origin in the decision by AP to identify the Gulf of Mexico by that name rather than the Gulf of America preferred by Trump.
It is one thing for AP and the
administration to be battling this out at home, but quite another to be doing it on the world stage.
Meanwhile, in another dispute, several publishers, including The
New York Times, The Associated Press, Newsmax, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and Reuters, have indicated they will not sign a document acknowledging new Defense Department (or
Department of War) rules for covering and gaining access to the department, according to The Canadian Press.
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"Reuters is bound by its commitment to accurate, impartial and
independent news," Reuters says in a statement. “We also steadfastly believe in the press protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution, the unrestricted flow of information and journalism that
serves the public interest without fear or favor. The Pentagon’s new restrictions erode these fundamental values.”
Several news organizations will not sign or
affirm the policies and vow to continue covering the Pentagon even if denied access.
“NPR will never be party to limitations on the independence of the press and the
objective, fact-based reporting of our journalists,” says Thomas Evans, editor in chief of NPR. “We will not sign the Administration's restrictive policy that asks reporters to
undermine their commitment of providing trustworthy, independent journalism to the American public.”