AP CEO Gary Pruitt at June 19 luncheon to address press freedom in wake of Justice Department media probe

Associated Press President and CEO Gary Pruitt will explain steps he believes need to be taken to ensure freedom of the press when he speaks Wednesday at a National Press Club luncheon.

Pruitt's appearance comes after news that the Justice Department secretly obtained phone records of several of AP’s reporters and four of its offices. The National Press Club has called on the Obama administration to publicly explain why it took this action.

The Justice Department told the AP that it had obtained last year two months of personal and professional phone records but did not say why. Pruitt says the targets and the timing suggest it might be related to a story the news organization broke last year about a bombing plot that had been organized by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen. He calls the incident “a massive and unprecedented intrusion” into news gathering.

The luncheon begins at 12:30 p.m. with remarks starting at 1 p.m., followed by a question and answer session. The event ends at 2 p.m.

Tickets cost $21 for National Press Club members (NPC members may buy two tickets at this price) and $35 for nonmembers. Tickets may be purchased online by clicking here.

For questions, please call 202-662-7501 or email [email protected]. Tickets must be paid for at the time of purchase.

Club members who wish to attend the pre-luncheon reception must RSVP separately to [email protected] 48 hours before the event. Space may be limited. You must have a paid reservation for the luncheon to attend the VIP reception.

To submit a question in advance put PRUITT in the subject line and e-mail to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of the luncheon.