First Amendment and Press Access

In legal arguments about press access, the Oval Office and Air Force One are characterized as 'invitation-only' spaces distinct from the White House briefing room, and parties assert that invitation-only spaces are not subject to viewpoint-neutral access requirements under the First Amendment.

Whether the president may exclude specific reporters or news organizations from covering official events based on their viewpoints is a contested First Amendment question about viewpoint discrimination and access to government-controlled spaces.

The White House press pool is a longstanding system used to organize how news organizations cover the White House, and its composition and practices have changed and evolved over time.

Government exclusion or restriction of press access as retaliation for a news organization's choice of language or terminology can raise First Amendment free-speech issues.

A U.S. federal district court concluded that excluding a news organization from White House access because of its refusal to use a presidentially preferred term can violate the First Amendment.