July 23, 2025 – The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s decision to bar The Wall Street Journal from covering the president’s trip to Scotland in apparent retaliation for its independent reporting.
According to administration officials, the ban stems from dissatisfaction with the Journal’s recent investigative article on the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his documented friendship with President Trump. In addition to barring Journal reporters, the administration has filed a lawsuit against the publication and others over the story. Both the White House Correspondents’ Association and the Freedom of the Press Foundation have expressed alarm over this escalating campaign against the free press.
This is not an isolated incident. Just six months ago, the Associated Press was excluded from White House events after continuing to use the internationally recognized term “Gulf of Mexico” rather than the administration’s preferred “Gulf of America.” That matter is now in litigation.
These punitive actions represent a direct threat to First Amendment protections and to the core democratic principle that government must not interfere with the free flow of information. Retaliation against journalists for accurate, independent, or unflattering coverage erodes public trust and undermines the role of a free press in holding power to account.
“The use of press credentialing as a political weapon is a dangerous first step toward censorship,” said SABEW First Amendment Committee Chair Henry Dubroff.
SABEW stands in unwavering support of The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, and all journalists who pursue the truth in service to the public. We join other press organizations in urging the administration to immediately reverse its actions and respect the constitutional protections that have underpinned American democracy for more than two centuries.
SABEW is the largest association of business journalists. The nonprofit organization advocates for the protection of the First Amendment and a free press.
