Press Freedom Center: Excluding Wire Services Undermines Public Access to Information
WASHINGTON, April 16 — The following is a statement from National Press Club President Mike Balsamo:
“Wire services like The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg are essential to how Americans get their news. Their reporting is the backbone of local newspapers, radio broadcasts, and evening newscasts across the country.
Excluding these organizations from the White House press pool limits the public’s access to accurate, timely information about their own government.
This decision is clearly retaliatory — and it’s the public who loses when trusted news sources are sidelined.
A free and independent press serves no political party. It serves the people.
The National Press Club and Press Freedom Center stand with the wire services and with every American who relies on fact-based journalism to stay informed and engaged.”
About the National Press Club
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 2,500 members representing nearly every major journalism organization. The Club and its Center for Press Freedom are leading voices for press freedom matters in the U.S. and worldwide.
Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534, [email protected] for the National Press Club Center for Press Freedom