The Associated Press filed a lawsuit against three White House officials on Friday after the news agency was barred from some of US president Donald Trump鈥檚 events.
The AP, in the suit filed in a federal court in Washington, said the denial of access violates the first amendment of the US constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and of the press.
The White House began blocking AP journalists from the Oval Office 10 days ago over the news agency鈥檚 refusal to follow Trump鈥檚 executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the 鈥楪ulf of America.鈥�
The ban on AP reporters was later extended to Air Force One.
The news group said it was bringing the suit against three Trump administration officials to 鈥榲indicate its rights to the editorial independence guaranteed by the United States constitution.鈥�
鈥楾he White House has ordered The Associated Press to use certain words in its coverage or else face an indefinite denial of access,鈥� the AP said.
鈥楾he press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,鈥� it said.
鈥楾he constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American鈥檚 freedom.鈥�
The suit names as defendants White House chief of staff Susan Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, as well as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
鈥榃e鈥檒l see them in court,鈥� Leavitt said during an appearance Friday at the conservative political action conference in Washington.
鈥榃e feel we are in the right. We are going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day,鈥� she said.
In its style guide, the AP noted that the Gulf of Mexico has 鈥榗arried that name for more than 400 years.鈥�
鈥楾he Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen,鈥� it said.
鈥楢s a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognisable to all audiences.鈥�
Trump called the AP a 鈥榬adical left organisation鈥� on Thursday and said the new Gulf of America name is 鈥榮omething that we feel strongly about.鈥�
His leveraging of press access underscores the Republican president鈥檚 longstanding animosity toward traditional news outlets, which he accuses of bias against him.
The White House Correspondents鈥� Association has called AP鈥檚 exclusion from Trump events 鈥榦utrageous鈥�.
The 180-year-old news agency has long been a pillar of US journalism and provides news to print, TV and radio outlets across the United States and around the world.