New York Times Correspondent Calls AP As ‘Straight As They Come’

The media is circling the wagons around the Associated Press after an AP reporter was barred from an Oval Office press conference, allegedly over the AP refusing to change its style guidance from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The New York Times said it was "at odds with the press freedoms enshrined in the Constitution." The Constitution guarantees the AP access to the Oval Office? Oilfield Rando explains the crux of the problem:

Lot of ppl don’t understand why “Gulf of America” is so important.

It’s not about naming it Gulf of America.

It’s about forcing the insane shitlibs to live by the ridiculous rules they’ve imposed on us for so long.

It’s the only way to make them cut this shit out.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) February 15, 2025

As Twitchy reported earlier, New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker thought he had a "gotcha" comparing the AP incident to Vice President J.D. Vance's powerful speech in Munich about the deterioration of free speech in Europe.

Headlines from today:

Vice President Vance Accuses European Leaders of Censoring Free Speech

White House Bars Associated Press From Spaces Like Oval Office and Air Force One
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 14, 2025

Baker wasn't done white-knighting for the Associated Press. According to him, the AP are "total professionals and as straight as they come."

Our colleagues at the @AP are the best in the business, total professionals and straight as they come. Since I started covering the White House in 1996, no president has punished a mainstay of the press pool to enforce his personal choice of what words they use in their stories.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 14, 2025

Then how about respecting our personal choice to use "illegal alien" instead of "undocumented person"?

The Associated Press is an essential news source for America and the world. It serves communities that voted for President Trump across America. It covers state legislatures when others have given up. It is a news service for all, especially in times of crisis. It is essential.
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) February 14, 2025

This is the same AP that shared office space with Hamas?

Speaking of which words get used in stories, in 2020 the AP directed all journalists to use “protests” instead of “riots” — even if the riots overtly violent.

The word “looting” was denounced as racist by the AP. Reporters were told to focus on “underlying grievances”.

And by…
— Jeff Carlson (@themarketswork) February 14, 2025

… And by “all journalists” we mean all journalists. AP’s Stylebook is the Bible of acceptable terminology for the media.

As this editor has reported, Twitchy goes by the AP Stylebook. He still won't capitalize "black," though, despite the AP's convoluted logic on why black should be capitalized but not white.

No, they're not, and you know it.
— Michael Walsh (@TheAmanuensis) February 15, 2025

They're far-left cranks.
— JWF (@JammieWF) February 15, 2025

They may be straight but their sexuality is irrelevant. LOL. They are hard core progressives that shape the news to that agenda.
— John Tillman (@JohnMTillman) February 15, 2025

This may have worked in the past.

But we can see decades of the AP being unrepentant hacks. So it doesn't work now.
— Small Gov Lizard (@smallgovlizard) February 15, 2025

The AP can get bent.
— AwakenedOutlaw⚒️ (@AwakenedOutlaw) February 14, 2025

"Our colleagues at the @AP are the best in the business"

at spreading dis/mis-information and especially good at withholding news worthy stories.

I know, I know. You claim to cover all the news worthy stories. In reality, you cover UP all the news worthy stories.
— Rusty Jewell (@NOMalreadytaken) February 15, 2025

They are paid propagandists.
— JBA Meet me in the Middle extremes are Bad (@AdlerJoelle) February 15, 2025

Lol I’m sorry your cool kids club is getting the same treatment as the rabble. pic.twitter.com/UJKTP7xw0R
— 𝔻𝕠𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕖 (@georg3) February 15, 2025

The Associated Propaganda say quietly and obediently while the Biden admin was at the heart of Murthy v Missouri.

Here is your L. Take it, and please find your humility and integrity.
— Freedom Ninja (@FreedomNinja4) February 15, 2025

You’re living in the past. Memories of the way things were. AP lost credibility as a “news” organization years ago.
— lowlevelbuzz (@lowlevelbuzz) February 15, 2025

Everyone is free to write what they want. @AP can still try to shove leftist nonsense down our throats. Not everyone is entitled to access. As many outlets who do better investigative reporting than AP found out from 2021-recently. Cope & seethe.
— Stacey (@ScotsFyre) February 15, 2025

GFY pic.twitter.com/SrBzaHNkDe
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) February 15, 2025

From the point of view of a New York Times correspondent, of course, AP is a straight as they come … which is biased toward the Left like every other mainstream outlet.