As of February 25th, the Trump administration stated that it would begin hand-picking reporters and media outlets that are allowed to report on the president.
This move is unusual and breaks decades of precedent. The Trump administration can now closely control who can report on the President and see what he does in his day-to-day life.
The White House Correspondents Association is a group that represents journalists from various media sources such as the New York Times, Fox News, CNN, and Reuters. Previously, the White House Correspondents Association would pick the outlets and reporters that would be covering the White House that day. The WHCA was created to ensure that the people were getting reliable and truthful information from events such as meetings in the Oval Office.
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has moved to try and control what goes to the media. The White House has banned the Associated Press from entering the White House and Air Force One. The Associated Press is a world-renowned news agency that supplies information to millions of people worldwide and also to other news outlets. This decision has sparked a legal battle between the Associated Press and the White House.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated that this would allow for “new voices” to be heard and report on the White House. These new voices would be things such as podcasts and streaming services. Leavitt said, “Legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well.”
This decision has been controversial, as many believe that this is directly taking away the freedom of the press. The First Amendment protects journalists’ ability to report news and other government events without undue interference.
The WHCA has spoken out against this decision. “This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests that the government will choose the journalist who covers the President. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their press corps. The WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency, and the right of the American public to read, listen to, and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor.”
A senior White House correspondent at Fox News, Jacqui Heinrich, wrote, “This move does not give power back to the people — it gives power to the White House.”
