Trump vs. freedom of the press: disputes for access to the Oval Office unleashed!

Trump vs. freedom of the press: disputes for access to the Oval Office unleashed!

The US government is facing a storm: the approval for reporters of the AP news agency, access to the Oval Office and the presidential aircraft, was withdrawn. The reason for this drastic measure is the refusal of the AP to use the "Golf of America" ​​newly introduced by Donald Trump for the internationally known waters. This decision of the White House not only exceeds limits, but also marks an unprecedented break with the tradition of freedom of the press in the USA, as experts fear. The AP and the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) have already started legal steps, but a judge initially rejected the application for an injunction.

The spokeswoman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, announced that more media should be given access to the press briefings in the future, including local channels of the Sinclair media group, which is known for their right-wing reporting. This is seen as an attempt to centralize control over the media that report on the government. Leavitt described this new regulation as a modernization of the press pool, which is also intended to include streaming services and aims to offer the supporters of Trump better access.

protests by journalists

experts and journalist representatives are alerted about the government's procedure. Jon Marshall, media historian at Northwestern University, describes the measures as a "dangerous step for democracy", since they authorize the president, to decide who can report on the executive. This incident raises serious questions about the independence of the press. In the decision, the New York Times sees an attempt to undermine the public's access to independent information. The conflict between Trump and the AP seems to be not only a media controversy, but also a test for the principles of free reporting in the United States, such as Zeit.de and vienna.at report.