German capital journalists condemn the recent access restrictions imposed on their Washington counterparts by the US President.
“The long-standing and proven principle of self-organization of journalists in the so-called White House Presspool must be preserved” said Mathis Feldhoff, chairman of the Federal Press Conference, on Thursday. The US media have demonstrated over many years that this form not only functions flawlessly but also ensures a high quality of reporting on the White House.
“The accusation by the White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, of a ‘monopoly’ over access to the President is a veiled interference in press freedom” Feldhoff said further. The Federal Press Conference, a union of around 900 parliamentary correspondents in Berlin, explicitly supports the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) and its president, Eugene Daniels, according to its own statements.
“Our concern is also great because the WHCA is one of the few journalist organizations worldwide that is comparable to the Federal Press Conference” Feldhoff said. “We are therefore paying attention to all similar signs that are also recognizable in Germany and Europe.