Trump's press restrictions spark concerns of media bias
The Donald Trump administration is limiting access to the White House for the AP and Reuters agencies, raising concerns about press freedom, reports "The New York Times".
As reported by "The New York Times," such actions might pose a threat to press freedom in the USA. The newspaper emphasizes that although the USA 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 wants to open up to smaller media outlets, resulting in the exclusion of large agencies. "The New York Times" notes that AP and Reuters have been replaced by conservative stations Newsmax and The Blaze.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 used in Russia under Putin's rule.
Even Fox News, usually at odds with liberal media, stood up in defense of 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.
