Trump administration limits big media access to White House
The Donald Trump administration is limiting access to the White House for AP and Reuters, raising concerns about press freedom, reports "The New York Times".
As reported by "The New York Times", these actions might pose a threat to press freedom in the United States. The newspaper emphasizes that, although America is not Russia, these practices are reminiscent of actions by the Kremlin.
New rules for access to the president
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that access to the president is a privilege, not a right. The Trump administration aims to open up to smaller media outlets, leading to the exclusion of large agencies. "The New York Times" notes that AP and Reuters have been replaced by conservative outlets Newsmax and The Blaze.
The White House's decision was met with criticism from the WHCA press association, which accuses the administration of attacking press independence. "This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States," the newspaper notes, recalling that similar practices were employed in Russia under Putin's rule.
Even Fox News, usually at odds with liberal media, defended AP and Reuters. "The New York Times" recalls that, in the past, media outlets supported each other across divides when attempts were made to limit access to power.
