Washington, 12 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The White House barred a reporter from the Associated Press from covering an event due to the news agency's editorial style, the US agency said on Tuesday.

AP said it was warned by the White House that if it did not align its editorial style with US President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, the agency would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office.

A reporter was subsequently blocked from attending an executive order signing, AP executive editor Julie Pace said in a statement.

"It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," she said.

"Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP's speech not only severely impedes the public's access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment."

The White House Correspondents' Association said the move to bar a reporter from an event was unacceptable.

"The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors' decisions," it said in a post on X.

"The WHCA stands with The Associated Press and calls on the administration to immediately change course."

Trump ordered the relabelling in honour of "American greatness" shortly after coming into office in January.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in response said that "for us it will continue to be the Gulf of Mexico and for the entire world it will continue to be the Gulf of Mexico."

The current name of the sea inlet on the southern coast of the US has been in use since the 16th century.

The waters border not only the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but also Mexico and Cuba. According to Trump's decree, the name change applies to the area up to the maritime borders of Mexico and Cuba.

At the time of the renaming, AP ruled it would refer to the gulf "by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen."

"As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences."

AP's official style guidance on the naming reads: "Trump's order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change."