The editors of Reuters, The Associated Press and Bloomberg News have issued a joint statement after the recent White House press pool shakeup as reported lately on the BBC and The Associated Press.
Here’s the statement they sent to PAN in full:
The three permanent wires in the White House pool, The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and Reuters, have long worked to ensure that accurate, fair and timely information about the presidency is communicated to a broad audience of all political persuasions, both in the United States and globally. Much of the White House coverage people see in their local news outlets, wherever they are in the world, comes from the wires.
It is essential in a democracy for the public to have access to news about their government from an independent, free press. We believe that any steps by the government to limit the number of wire services with access to the President threatens that principle. It also harms the spread of reliable information to people, communities, businesses and global financial markets that heavily depend on our reporting.
Julie Pace, Executive Editor, The Associated Press
John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, Bloomberg
Alessandra Galloni, Editor-in-Chief, Reuters