National Press Club awards The Associated Press with its highest press freedom award

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club is honoring The Associated Press, a global independent global news organization whose work is seen by billions of people each day, with its highest honor for press freedom, the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award.

This year, the National Press Club board unanimously agreed to recognize the AP for its leadership in defending press freedom and standing for the right of all Americans to speak freely without government retaliation or control. The AP's steadfast commitment to preserving independence, access, transparency, and accountability impacts journalists everywhere and exemplifies the very principles the Aubuchon Award was created to celebrate, the Club's Board of Governors noted.

"The Associated Press stood its ground for a simple reason: journalism must be independent to be free," said National Press Club President Mike Balsamo. "A newsroom that lets the government decide its words gives up its voice. The AP chose principle over permission — and in doing so, defended every journalist's right to report without fear or favor."

The AP sued the government in February after the administration barred its journalists from covering White House events when the global news organization continued to use "Gulf of Mexico" in its independent reporting, rather than "Gulf of America." In January, President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to comply with the name change. Citing its editorial style guidelines and international audiences, The Associated Press continues to both use "Gulf of Mexico" and acknowledge the new designation, as the executive order only has authority within U.S. jurisdiction — not globally. 

 "The right to speak freely without government control or retaliation is a fundamental American principle that must be protected," said AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Julie Pace. "We took this stand not only on behalf of all news organizations, but on behalf of all Americans. This is about an essential freedom that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution."

A U.S. district court in April issued a preliminary injunction ordering the White House to restore AP journalists' access to events, ruling that the government may not exclude a news organization from events because of the viewpoints expressed. The government is appealing that ruling. Following the April ruling, the White House then introduced a new media policy that would reduce the number of wire service reporters who have regular access and reserve discretion for the press secretary to decide who in the pool participates.

"The Aubuchon Award honors those who defend the line between power and the press," Balsamo said. "The Associated Press reminded the world that independence is not inherited — it's exercised. Every generation of journalists must defend it anew."

The John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award is named for a former National Press Club president who fervently advocated for press freedom. Each year, the Club's Board of Governors selects both a domestic and an international honoree. By selecting The Associated Press as the domestic honoree, the Club is committing resources from its Press Freedom Center to supporting the wire service and amplifying the implications of its case.

The National Press Club will confer the 2025 Aubuchon awards, along with the Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism during its annual Fourth Estate Award Gala honoring Robert Costa on Dec. 9 in Washington, D.C. Tickets are available.

The gala dinner is a fundraiser for the Club's nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, which produces training to equip journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. Tickets and more information for the event can be found here.

Press Contact: Bill McCarren, director of the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club, [email protected]

SOURCE National Press Club