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White House bars CNN, major news outlets from media gaggle

News organizations including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and Politico were blocked from joining a White House media gaggle, according to news reports.

The Associated Press chose not to participate in the gaggle following the move by White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

"The AP believes the public should have as much access to the president as possible," Lauren Easton, the AP's director of media relations, said in a statement..

News organizations that were allowed in included the conservative website Breitbart news. The site's founder, Steve Bannon, is chief strategist to President Donald Trump.

Earlier Friday in a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference, President Donald Trump railed against the media.