A federal court restored the Associated Press’s full access to presidential events in an April 8 ruling that said the government cannot punish news organizations for Constitutionally protected speech.
The Trump Administration initially banned the AP from the White House for not referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America after President Trump signed an executive order declaring the name change.
Junior Ava Knapp, an editor-in-chief of The Paly Voice, said the AP case shows how easily those in power can challenge press freedoms.
“Even if we feel far removed from the huge political aspect of these major corporations limiting bigger publications, it’s almost a symbolic view of the freedom of the press,” Knapp said. “AP News is being limited by this higher power, and that’s hurting their First Amendment rights, and it’s something that we need to be aware and cautious of when continuing to report in these times.”
Knapp said freedom of the press is also essential to student-journalists, as it allows them to exercise their First Amendment rights by reporting authentically and truthfully.
Senior Alma Bendavid, the former editor-in-chief of Verde Magazine, praised Paly’s uncensored student publications and said the AP’s case shows the importance of protecting opinions that differ from those in power.
“Whether it’s something as miniscule as a word change, you’re still allowed to have different conventions,” Bendavid said. “The AP makes the conventions for lots of press, but you’re allowed to have different opinions, and you shouldn’t be censored for that, and you should still have the freedom to write what you want and publish what you want.”
Additionally, Bendavid said the ruling demonstrates the importance of the judicial system.
“It proves why we have three branches of government and why we have protections on our free speech, so that one person can’t throw an entire super-respectable, prestigious press out for a name change,” Bendavid said.
Bendavid also said the case shows the system of checks and balances in the American government.
“The AP is a very well-respected press, and seeing the case — seeing them push back against the White House policies, and then the White House ban them, and then getting their spot back — is a good example of the way that a free press should be protected,” Bendavid said.
And English teacher Alanna Williamson said this ruling didn’t surprise her.
“It makes complete sense because it’s literally in the Constitution — freedom of the press,” Williamson said. “If you’re going to give certain people access, you have to give everyone access.”
Knapp agrees and said the case offers hope to student-journalists by showing checks and balances still exist to protect democratic values.
“It shows that the resilience that AP news has in not caving into what the Trump administration was having them do does pay off,” Knapp said. “There’s always going to be a struggle for journalists to get in there and be in the room, but winning and getting back into that position that they are in now is just proof that the fight is worth it.”
However, Williamson said she’s unsure whether this ruling will hold due to ongoing chaos and what she perceives as a lack of respect for judicial decisions under the Trump administration.
“In previous eras of our democracy, I would have been like, ‘That’s great’ because that means that they’re protected, and we have freedom of press, and something is there to check and balance the bias of the news and media that we consume,” Williamson said. “Now I just have zero faith.”
Knapp said the ruling does the opposite for her, reinforcing her belief that the justice system can still function to uphold essential rights, even during the current political climate.
“It gives us hope that it’s not going to be so terrible in the next couple of years, and that there are still people who will fight for First Amendment rights and the ability for people to report on what they witness and what they find as true,” Knapp said.
Knapp said the AP’s refusal to comply with the Trump administration’s name change also strengthens their credibility and shows their commitment to journalistic values.
“By refusing to do that, AP News shows to everyone else that ‘We’re not just going to compromise our beliefs because of what someone of higher power is telling us to do,’” Knapp said. “And by doing that, it keeps their reputation intact. So after the four years are over, they won’t have compromised, and that makes them even a more reliable source.”
The Trump administration is appealing the judge’s ruling and instead of fully reinstating the AP, the administration downgraded all wire services, which include the AP, Bloomberg News and Reuters, from guaranteed press pool status.
Despite this, Williamson said the case holds great importance.
“I would assume a lot of kids who are in journalism potentially want to pursue that as a career,” Williamson said. “And so that’s going to influence you. If you see that you are doing something and it’s really restricted, that might make you either not want to do it anymore because it’s frustrating — like, what’s the point? Or it might make you actually want to fight harder against it, and that fuels your desire to want to be part of that arena and field of perfection.”
