Overview:
The Trump administration is attempting to gain control over the free press by limiting access to the White House press pool, which is currently determined by a "pick-and-choose" method. This move is part of a broader effort to eliminate obstacles to Trump's control over the American people and the press, which is protected by the First Amendment. The implications of this move are significant, as it could result in a media landscape filled with disinformation and a lack of independent free press. The purpose of political press is to be non-biased, and this move could force journalists to focus on the good lies of the current president instead of the harsh truths.
Since December 15, 1791, the freedom of both speech and press were protected, by the ratification of the First Amendment. This meant that the press had freedom from government restriction, whether it be in favor or in opposition of the acting government, as long as everything they published was truthful.
In 2025, since Trump has taken office, he is aiming to eliminate any obstacle that diminishes his control over the American people, and that also means the free press.
It isn’t a secret that Trump enjoys being on television, but if he loves anything, it is the ability to utter mistruths (also commonly referred to as “lies” to nearly everyone else outside of the press), knowing that he won’t be corrected outright. His most recent episode of spreading mistruths to global citizens via multiple news networks occurred in his press conference with President Zelensky on February 28 of this year. Trump confidently stated that Ukraine was the country to start the Ukraine-Russia war by invading Russia. When in fact, it was Russia that invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, causing millions of deaths and continuous violence.
Days before the disastrous press conference that likely put a deep strain on the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) spoke on this very matter.
In a February 26 House Oversight Committee meeting, Congresswoman Crockett spoke up against her Congressional colleague to insist that “Facts matter!” Crockett elaborated on the incessant, diplomatically harmful lies from the President of the United States about who began the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Trump, a firm believer that Ukraine invaded Russia at the start of this conflict, is likely looking to make side deals with Russia. Here, Trump’s falsehoods have put the entire world on the brink of a potential World War III.
Adding to the growing list of concerns, Trump’s Administration has dictated that the Press Pool would now be granted access based solely and arbitrarily on a “pick-and-choose” method of who the current Administration wants to grant access to the President.
The Press Pool was created during former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s term. The purpose of the Press Pool of 49 journalists was to ensure that the American people had news that was non-biased to hold the president accountable for any action they would need to answer to. In 1914, this group was renamed the White House Correspondents Association. The journalists in this association are responsible for covering the White House in places such as the Oval office and Air Force One to deliver independent press to the American people.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, said, “The White House press team, in this administration, will determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces, such as Air Force One and the Oval Office.”
If the journalists are picked by the president, what does this imply for the American press as we know it?
Censorship in Journalism:
The Trump administration has taken it upon themselves to grip the independent press with a vice, which means that only certain news publications will have access to ask the president the hard-hitting questions. This new process comes shortly after the Trump Administration banned the Associated Press (AP News) from the White House after their refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Leavitt added, “A select group of D.C.-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly of press access at the White House.”
The new process harms the freedom of the press more than it allows them access. This is another key element to the Trump administration’s attempt to gain full control over the press, thus rendering the First Amendment futile. The implication that the press pool can be controlled strategically by the administration means that only news outlets the administration wants to be in the press room will be there. This closes the door on asking the president hard-hitting questions and opens the door to a new wave of media filled with disinformation. The spread of these mistruths as factual could result in swaths of the American public living in a political echo chamber based on opinion rather than fact.
The purpose of political press is to be non biased in all aspects, especially when it comes to the presidency, however, in allowing an opportunity of favoritism it forces the press to focus more on the good lies of the current president instead of the harsh truths. This would only propel single stories in the media allowing for a tyrannical government to rise while the American democracy crumbles.
The First Amendment:
Since the administration wants to have a press pool that they directly choose, this would force implications on the First Amendment in the sense that every press is allowed to write both about the good of a president and the bad of a president.
With Trump and his team directly choosing this ends on the questions about Elon Musk, DOGE, the Ukraine-Russia War, and the Gulf of Mexico. However it will then begin the press that will value and uphold the Trump Administration in higher standings despite the fact the president has been chipping away at the American democracy with Elon Musk at his side.
Along with the concerns for the First Amendment, if the president is not fact-checked, it allows for both American enemies and allies to raise their eyebrows as well. With President Trump pulling out of the World Health Organization and potentially pulling out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the American people will lose access to the things that can directly affect the American people, even overseas.
It forces much of the American republic to live in a soundproof barrier where we only hear what the American government wants us to hear and not what we should hear.
The Need for American Unbiased Journalism:
American unbiased journalism isn’t a matter of uplifting one political figure over another; instead, it is the practice of accountability, fighting misinformation in the media, and protecting American Democracy by informing citizens with the information necessary to be educated, active participants in American politics.
Holding all political figures accountable forces them to answer questions about their past policies and statements regarding taxes, health care, the wage gap, etc. It forces them to answer the truth to the American people whether it hurts their campaign or harms them, because the American people can only make informed decisions regarding their lives when they have the access to independent free press.
In a world of quick sound bites and fast-paced information, it becomes hard to decipher what is factual and what is not. Many dedicated journalists work around the clock to ensure that all press is given to the American people in digestible and truthful ways. Journalists are consistently tasked with assignments forcing them to find the hard truths that can be easily misconstrued on social media every single day.
The American Republic is fueled by the participation of American citizens. Regardless of who they vote for or who they feel is the best candidate, it is up to the press to find the facts first and leave it to the citizens. It is up to independent press such as AP News (and here at Dallas Weekly) to tell the truth regardless of what a wannabe king wants people to recognize and believe.
Otherwise, everyday America may very well be in danger of slipping through the cracks to suffer the harsh realities found in the pages of some of those books that politicians keep on banning.
Zahiyah Carter is a Gen Z writer based in Dallas. Her work focuses on topics that matter most to young people, from social issues and pop culture to technology and beyond.
