U.S. Treasury Department Bars Some New York Times and Wall Street Journal Reporters from Covering G20 Meeting

[Financial News] Ahead of the Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has sparked controversy by refusing to approve press access for reporters from major news organizations.
Foreign media reported that the U.S. Department of the Treasury denied press credentials for some reporters from The New York Times (NYT), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and Bloomberg News for the G20 event. Those barred included NYT reporter Aaron Rappaport, who has covered the Treasury Department since 2017 and has reported on-site from multiple G7 and G20 meetings, as well as WSJ reporter Matt Grossman.
The New York Times immediately pushed back strongly. In a statement, NYT spokesperson Nicole Taylor said the move was "not only a threat aimed at discouraging independent journalism, but also a blatant attempt to evade press scrutiny." She added that it blocked coverage of a major event dealing with key global economic issues, including the war with Iran, sanctions on Russia, the bond market, and inflation. The NYT Washington bureau chief sent a letter to the Treasury Department requesting a review, but the policy remains in place.
In response, a Treasury Department spokesperson said, "More than 300 reporters from about a dozen countries around the world are expected to attend, and the list includes a wide range of outlets such as The Washington Post (WP), National Public Radio (NPR), and Al Jazeera." The spokesperson also cited U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent's various media interviews and added, "As access for coverage of policymakers is guaranteed, there is also a responsibility to report facts in accordance with established journalistic standards." The department said it had approved coverage by Jim Tankersley, the NYT's Berlin bureau chief.
Local media view the move as part of the Trump administration's continuing efforts to restrict press access. This is not the first time the Trump administration has imposed limits on media coverage. In October last year, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) required reporters to sign a pledge stating that they could lose their press credentials if they covered classified or controlled unclassified information without authorization, and that those who refused would have to surrender their credentials.
The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the DoD in response, and in March a court ruled that the policy violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech.
[email protected] Yoon Jae-joon Reporter