Though the Associated Press acknowledged Donald Trump‘s order to rename the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of America,” the AP has chosen to continue using the former name in its influential stylebook. The White House has reportedly now punished the organization for its journalistic independence by excluding the AP from an Executive Order signing. The president’s attempt to enforce American imperialism through language isn’t surprising. Nor is the suppression of free speech. Prominent journalists refusing to adopt the White House’s colonial naming convention is a welcome sign, but this kind of journalistic suppression is likely to increase.
White House Bans AP for Its Gulf of Mexico Stance
Flouting the law and gutting federal programs aren’t all that Trump’s been up to since his return to office. He also signed an Executive Order renaming the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of America,” a move that unsurprisingly provoked international outcry and jeers. Though Apple and Google Maps have complied with the order, not all have followed suit. The Associated Press has remained steadfast in its usage of the Gulf of Mexico while also acknowledging the president’s EO. It’s a move that reportedly led the White House to block the organization from covering the signing event on Tuesday.
The Associated Press has every legal and ethical right to maintain its stylebook as it sees fit. The White House reaction is, bluntly, an act of journalistic censorship and a clear demonstration of the U.S. government’s priorities. The AP’s X post about the renaming garnered plenty of feedback, with many mocking the name change as well as the president. As one commenter put it,
It’s just to appease the fragile masculinity of the mangled apricot lard biscuit.
Journalists are under no obligation to use state-mandated terms, and to advocate for state control of the media is fascist, full stop. The White House’s actions against the Associated Press for its position on the Gulf of Mexico sends a clear message about what to expect in the years to come. So does the AP’s resistance.
