White House Bars Wire Service Reporters from Traveling with President on Air Force One

The White House Correspondents' Association expressed concern as the Trump administration barred wire service reporters from traveling with the president to the Middle East on Air Force One. This move is seen as a disservice to every American who deserves timely access to presidential coverage. The White House has been engaged in a court battle with The Associated Press, following a ruling that led to a new media policy.

Key Takeaways:

• The White House Correspondents' Association opposes the new policy that restricts wire service reporters from traveling with the president on Air Force One.
• The association argues that wire service reporters' reports are widely distributed, providing equal access to coverage of the presidency.
• The White House has been engaged in a legal battle with The Associated Press over a court ruling that led to the new media policy.
• A Reuters reporter was the only wire service representative to accompany the president to Pope Francis' funeral.
• The new policy lumps wire services with print reporters in a rotation for space on Air Force One or Oval Office events.

Statistics:

• No wire service reporters (AP, Bloomberg, or Reuters) were on the plane traveling with the president to the Middle East.
• Wire service reports are "distributed quickly to thousands of news outlets and millions of readers throughout the world every day."
• The court ruling led to a new media policy that changed the rotation for space on Air Force One or Oval Office events.
• A single Reuters reporter accompanied the president to Pope Francis' funeral.

Sources:

• The White House Correspondents' Association
• The Associated Press
• Reuters
• The Trump administration's new media policy (cited in the court ruling)
• The Library of Congress (mentioned in the context of Trump appointees being escorted out)