I don’t know whether The Associated Press will ultimately prevail in its legal challenge to the Trump administration’s reckless and petty decision to kick the venerable organization out of the press pool, which has more White House access than other credentialed journalists.
The lawsuit took a hit on last week when a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit tossed a lower court’s preliminary injunction, allowing the White House to reinstate parts of the ban. But as the litigation continues, it’s worth noting that punishing the press out of presidential pique is nothing new.
The current controversy arose in February, after the AP refused to revise its style guide to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by President Donald Trump’s preferred "Gulf of America.” The administration, with its typical small-mindedness, stripped the AP of its usual insider’s seat. But punishing journalists for refusing to follow government orders is pretty much the opposite of freedom of the press.
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