The US Treasury Department denied credentials to reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg for the G20 finance ministerial meeting held from August 30 to September 2 in Asheville, North Carolina, under the US G20 presidency [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Among those denied access was The New York Times economics reporter Alan Rappeport, while another Times reporter based in Berlin, Jim Tankersley, received credentials [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Bloomberg reporters based in the US, France, Italy, Japan, and China were also all denied entry to cover the meeting [3, 4, 5, 6]. The Wall Street Journal declined to comment on the denial of credentials to its reporters [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the credential denials were "not related to point of view," emphasizing the decision was not based on journalists' perspectives [2]. A Treasury spokesperson added that media attending the meeting "will have close contact with policymakers, and with that access comes the responsibility to report facts according to established journalistic standards" [3].

The denied credentials sparked criticism from media outlets accusing the Treasury Department of undermining press freedom and public accountability. A spokesperson for The New York Times called it "a blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny" and "another disturbing effort by the administration to undermine independent journalism" [2]. Bloomberg’s spokesperson described the restrictions as harmful to "media freedom and public accountability," adding the company will "continue to fight for full access and continue to report on the meeting progress fairly and accurately" [3].

About 12 countries and nearly 300 media representatives are expected to attend the G20 finance ministerial meeting [1, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The agenda includes topics such as the Iran war, sanctions, bond markets, inflation, and trade imbalances [2, 3, 5, 6].

The decisions follow a broader pattern under the Trump administration of restricting media access at key government venues, including the Pentagon and White House [1, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The meeting continues through September 2 amid ongoing coverage challenges caused by the reduced press pool.

The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will convene in Asheville through September 2 to discuss pressing global economic issues under the US presidency [2, 3, 4, 5, 6].