White House officials barred an Associated Press reporter from the Oval Office because of AP style involving the ‘Gulf of America.’
The Associated Press says the White House’s denial of a reporter into the Oval Office violates the First Amendment. The AP reported that one of their reporters was banned from an event. It decision appeared to involve AP’s style rules on the Gulf of Mexico. President Donald Trump, in his first week in office, ordered that it be renamed the Gulf of America.
The Associated Press produces The Associated Press Stylebook, which serves as a style guide for newsrooms around the world. The idea behind that style guide, like all style guides, is to have consistency among writers. So newsrooms, usually those that are members of the Associated Press, follow AP Style.
AP sets a policy on what to call the Gulf
Shortly after Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, the Associated Press released guidance about how to handle the change. The guidance first pointed out that the order only carries authority within the U.S. Neither Mexico nor other countries or international bodies need recognize the name change.
Then, it answered the big question:
The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.
What’s interesting to note is that the rule is to refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico while acknowledging the new name. It’s not like they’re refusing to call it the Gulf of America entirely.
Trump officials threatened to ban their reporter from a White House event over the AP Style rule on the Gulf, the AP reported.
It appears the Trump Administration followed through on the threat.
AP issues statement, calling it a threat to free speech
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace released a statement on Tuesday’s event. Pace said it was “alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism.”
“Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment,” she said.
The event in question, incidentally, Trump and adviser Elon Musk spoke of the sweeping cuts they were making to the federal government as part of Musk’s government efficiency effort, NPR reported.
That’s important news. The news media has every right to be there to cover it. This didn’t happen on private property: It was in the White House. It was about a federal government initiative.
A reporter who works for the Associated Press has no more power to change AP Style than any of the people working in newsrooms that use AP Style do. (I fall into the latter category.)
Barring such a journalist, then, brings one word immediately to mind: petty.
That’s not how a leader should behave. It’s not how the team working for that leader should behave.
Meanwhile, Apple and Google Maps also now show “Gulf of America” to U.S.-based users. Apparently, outside of the U.S., they still call it the “Gulf of Mexico.” Essentially, they do exactly what AP does.
Is Trump and his administration going to do anything to penalize them for not toeing his line?
