Overview

• A US federal judge has mandated the White House restore the Associated Press's access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other areas open to journalists.
• The court decision, rooted in First Amendment principles, prohibits the government from denying press access based on journalists' views or editorial decisions.
• The conflict arose after the AP refused to adopt President Trump's directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as 'Golf von Amerika' in its reporting.
• The Trump administration has until April 13 to appeal the ruling, which has been praised by press freedom advocates as a significant affirmation of media independence.
• The Associated Press, one of the world's leading news agencies, views the decision as a critical rebuke to attempts at political censorship and a defense of free speech rights.