The White House defended its decision last week to prohibit a correspondent from the Associated Press from covering two official events after the agency did not refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its historical name 'Gulf of America.' The Associated Press advises its journalists and information organizations that rely on them to use the historical name of the gulf, even though they acknowledge that changes made by President Donald Trump directly influence its use by the federal government and within the U.S.
The press secretary of the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated to reporters: "I was extremely clear in my remarks, on the first day, that if we feel that lies are being spread through information sources in this room, we will consider them responsible for those lies." She added: "It is known that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is referred to as the 'Gulf of America,' and I am not sure why information sources do not want to refer to it as such."
The Associated Press's chief editor, Julie Pace, wrote a letter to senior White House correspondent Zeke Miller with the sharpest protest. Pace noted that Jean-Pierre informed an Associated Press correspondent that his access to the White House would be limited if the newly established agency did not immediately prefer the Trump-administration name for the gulf.
"Actions taken by the White House are clearly directed at punishing the Associated Press for the content of its coverage," Pace explained, adding that "one of the fundamental principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution is that the government cannot dictate to the public or the press what they say."
The Associated Press intends to strongly assert its constitutional rights and protest against violations of the public's right to independent news coverage of its government and elected officials. The Associated Press is part of a small group of journalists that cover every appearance of the president.
Other news organizations expressed support for the Associated Press. The head of the Association of White House Journalists, Yudzhin Daniels, stated: "The White House has no right to dictate how news organizations report news, and it should not punish journalists for correctly informing the public about the administration's decisions."
Similar actions by Trump's administration limit access to main news sources at official venues. The Associated Press supplies news and reports to other information organizations worldwide. In its guidelines, the Associated Press recommends retaining the name of the gulf on the east coast of Mexico, which stretches from Texas to Florida under its historical name.
An article in "New York Times" last week noted that these actions correspond to Trump's efforts to reshape government language regarding the removal from the administration's guidelines of political agency recommendations.
