Summary
Fox News and Newsmax joined 40 news organizations in signing a letter urging the Trump administration to lift its ban on the Associated Press (AP) from White House events.
The ban stems from AP’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico,” following a Trump executive order.
Newsmax defended AP’s First Amendment rights despite ideological differences.
The White House Correspondents’ Association and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also protested the ban, but Trump remains firm, calling AP a “radical left organization.”
I don’t think this is it. I think that removing the AP and leaving Newsmax/Fox calls into question the legitimacy of their reporting. They want to ride the coattails of AP its reputable reporting. Standing shoulder to shoulder with AP reports lends credence to Newsmax/Fox. If the reputable reporters are gone and only Newsmax and Fox are left, people will start questioning if only unreputable reporters are allow there.
I kind of agree, but do their audiences actually question anything without being told to?
Their dyed-in-the-wool audiences no, but those are already captured people. Newsmax/Fox want folks that don’t watch them to assume they are legitimate reporters. Being mentioned in the same breath as AP an Reuters does that.
They do not.
Thats not a bad take tbh.