Article in Axios by Marc Caputo, 2/17/25

Headline:  “Scoop: Why Trump targets AP“

“One of the big reasons President Trump is limiting AP reporters’ White House access is to protest what aides see as years of liberal word choices that the wire service’s influential stylebook spread across mainstream media, according to top White House officials.

“Why it matters: The trigger was the announcement by The Associated Press that it would continue using the 400-year-old “Gulf of Mexico” rather than switch to “Gulf of America,” as declared by Trump in a Day 1 executive order. But it turns out that broader underlying grievances made AP a target.

“The big picture: By spotlighting AP, Trump is amplifying Republican and conservative criticisms that the AP Stylebook, a first reference for most U.S. news organizations, shapes political dialogue by favoring liberal words and phrases concerning gender, immigration, race and law enforcement.”

“. . . Axios said in a statement Friday, ‘the government should never dictate how any news organization makes editorial decisions. The AP and all news organizations should be free to report as they see fit. This is a bedrock of a free press and durable democracy.’ ”

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/17/trump-ap-gulf-america-mexico