As a communication major specializing in journalism, I was alarmed when I read the Associated Press headline: “White House bars AP reporter from Oval Office because of AP style policy on ‘Gulf of America.” If it is the AP today, who will it be tomorrow? Certainly, restricting entry to the Oval Office based on the content of AP speech violates the First Amendment, and certainly doing so limits public access to free and fair news. By cutting this access in the first month of his presidency, President Trump is setting a precedent that could dramatically alter the field of journalism in the years to come.
This threat extends beyond the press and jeopardizes the existence of differing opinions. Colleges and universities, for example, should be places where students can debate diverse ideas and opinions, but with executive actions like this, that freedom is in jeopardy. As college students during President Trump’s term, we must remain informed, defend the opportunity for public discourse and strive to uphold integrity.
For background on this decision, the Associated Press is a not-for-profit organization that provides nonpartisan and timely news to the general public. The Associated Press is also responsible for setting the grammar and style guidelines for journalists and writers in general. Its refusal to acknowledge the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America has led to the Trump administration punishing the organization and its reporters. And this punishment is not a “one-off” but rather an indefinite restriction against the AP, barring its journalism access from both the Oval Office and now Air Force One.
With something as objective as the name of a body of water, it calls into question whether or not journalists are going to be able to factually report without fear of retribution. Additionally, as an opinion writer, expressing my thoughts and feelings about topics, including politics, is what I am passionate about. Opinions are how we expand our knowledge and broaden our perspectives. Opinions of Trump are how we keep him, and his actions, in check and allow the general public to gauge whether what he is doing is precedented. If reporters begin to timidly write things that are complementary of Trump–factual or not–we lose this unofficial “check” and Trump’s presidency will quickly turn dangerous.
Restricting the Associated Press’ access to information based on its choice to refer to a body of water by its original name, a choice recognized by a majority of the other countries, is a form of censorship that may scare other journalists into complying with Trump’s narcissistic mandates. However, decisions like this must not sway journalists’ pursuit of unbiased knowledge and must not hinder their ability to express their opinions when disagreeing with the President.
This duty for the pursuit of knowledge and truth extends to all Americans, especially college students. The banning of the AP from the Oval Office is not just an attack on one news organization but rather an attack on freedom of speech in general. American citizens, especially college students tasked with shaping our country for the next generation, must resist efforts that distract us from the truth.
On its website, Villanova promotes how its students are constantly “searching for knowledge.” This phrase implies that knowledge and truth are not something that fall into laps but are rather something that people must look for. This ideal is something Villanova students, and all American citizens, must remember during the next four years as the search for the middle ground and the unbiased truth becomes more hidden and difficult to uncover.
