Journalism organizations, including the Radio Television Digital News Association, are urging President-elect Donald Trump to allow for a full press pool, regular press conferences and a "more responsive" approach to FOIA requests.
That came in a letter signed by 18 organizations, including the American Society of News Editors, The National Press Club, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has warned that Trump was an unprecedented threat to journalism and journalists.
"Being president is an enormous responsibility, and working with the White House Correspondents' Association to ensure journalists' access is one small but important part of that," they said in the letter. "We call on you to commit to a protective press pool from now until the final day of your presidency. We respectfully ask you to instill a spirit of openness and transparency in your administration in many ways but first and foremost, via the press pool."
“We also call for access to you via regular press conferences and pool sprays and to your key decision-makers. You have an opportunity as incoming president to set the tone for your staff speaking on the record for the sake of transparency. We also hope your administration will improve response rates to FOIA requests as a way to show the American people, and the world, that the republic belongs to the people."
News organizations have complained that Trump has not kept them in the loop, including when he was leaving Washington, D.C., for New York and when he went out to dinner this week.
Trump’s disdain for the press was obvious throughout his campaign, which included numerous criticisms, insults, threats and accusations of a conspiracy to elect his opponent.
