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Former CNN broadcaster Jim Acosta is urging the media to stand up to President Donald Trump and his administration for barring an Associated Press journalist from White House briefings – even if that means refusing to cover the president.
Last week, Trump officials raised alarm bells with First Amendment advocates and media organizations when it prevented an AP reporter from joining briefings as punishment for the legacy news outlet refusing to permanently refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its newly appointed name, the Gulf of America.
Acosta, who often butted heads with the Trump administration during the president’s first term, suggested news outlets should “rally to the cause” using whatever means necessary.
“News outlets then must rally to the cause, by offering supportive statements to the court hearing the case, writing op-Ed’s backing the AP, and, if necessary, refusing to cover presidential movements in solidarity, until Trump backs down,” Acosta wrote on his Substack The Jim Acosta Show.
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Acosta said it’s pivotal for news organizations to band together and show the Trump administration that they determine how the news is covered, not the White House or the president.
“The presidential Sharpie is not mightier than the pen,” Acosta wrote.
Many have echoed similar sentiments, issuing op-eds supporting AP and denouncing the Trump administration’s attempts to suppress free speech – something Trump and his allies have long touted as one of the most important principles of the United States.
Newspapers and other wire services such as Reuters, USA Today and the Washington Post have issued opinion pieces supporting AP.
First Amendment advocates such as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, PEN America and others have also issued statements denouncing the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict access as retaliation.
But White House officials do not view the decision to restrict AP reporters from joining Oval Office briefings or boarding Air Force One as a difference over stylistic choices, according to Axios.
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“This isn’t just about the Gulf of America,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich told Axios. “This is about AP weaponizing language through their stylebook to push a partisan worldview in contrast with the traditional and deeply held beliefs of many Americans and many people around the world.”
AP, long considered the gold standard of neutral reporting, said it would not permanently adopt the Trump administration’s new name for the Gulf of Mexico but would recognize it. The AP said this decision was to maintain clarity, given the Gulf of Mexico has been the name of the body of water for more than 400 years.
“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,” the news organization wrote in its stylebook change.
The Independent follows AP style guidance when it comes to referring to the Gulf of Mexico.
Acosta appears to be the first notable career journalist to call for news organizations to boycott reporting on Trump if necessary.
Though it may be an aggressive action, the former CNN broadcaster experienced a similar issue while covering the Trump administration in 2018 when the White House revoked his press pass and security credentials over a verbal spar with the president.
The dispute ultimately led to a court case in which a federal judge ordered the White House to reinstate it
