National Press Club Statement On AP Reporter Blocked From The Oval Office

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mike Balsamo today issued the following statement after an Associated Press reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing in the Oval Office:

"Today's action by the White House is a direct attack on press freedom. No administration gets to decide how journalists do their jobs. The role of a free press is not to serve as an extension of any administration.

Barring a journalist from an official event because their newsroom refuses to conform to government-imposed language is more than an attack on one reporter or outlet - it is an assault on the First Amendment and the public's right to know. The role of the press is not to take orders from the government but rather to hold the government accountable.

We call on the White House to immediately reverse course and recommit to respecting the role of an independent press in a democracy. Anything less sets a dangerous precedent and erodes the fundamental values of a free society."

About the National Press Club: Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 2,500 members representing nearly every major journalism organization. The Club and its Press Freedom Center are leading voices for press freedom matters in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534, [emailprotected]
Director of the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club