The Associated Press reported that the White House has banned an AP reporter from covering an event because of the editorial decision to continue calling the Gulf of Mexico, renamed by President Donald Trump, by its original name - the Gulf of Mexico, BTA reported.
The AP was warned by the White House that if it did not bring its editorial style into line with the presidential decree renaming the Gulf, the agency would not be granted access to the event in the Oval Office.
"It is troubling that the Trump administration would punish the AP for its independent journalism," said the agency's executive editor, Julie Pace. "Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on language content published by the AP not only seriously impedes the public's access to independent news, but also clearly violates the First Amendment," Pace added.
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) said the ban on a reporter attending the event was unacceptable. "The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor punish working journalists because it is unhappy with the decisions of their editors," the trade union said on the social media platform "Ex". "The White House Correspondents' Association stands with the Associated Press and calls on the administration to immediately reverse course," the text continued.
Trump unilaterally changed the name of the bay shortly after taking office. The current name of the bay on the southern coast of the United States has been used since the 16th century, DPA notes. Its waters border not only the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but also Mexico and Cuba. According to Trump's decree, the name change applies to the area along the maritime borders of Mexico and Cuba.
The AP said it would call the bay "by its original name, while recognizing the new name chosen by Trump".