Dear WHNPA Members,
In keeping with longstanding practice and understandings between the news media and presidential families the board of the White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) wants to inform its members that we support and intend to respect the understanding reached between the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) and the Trump administration regarding the privacy of the new President’s 10-year-old minor son Barron Trump.
As has been true since the Clinton administration in the 90’s and with the successive minor age children of both Presidents Bush and Obama, we urge our members to respect the privacy of the President’s young son by only photographing him and publishing pictures of him when he is seen in public with his parents, whether at the White House or elsewhere.
At the request of his family we ask our members to please refrain from photographing the President’s son when encountered at his home at the White House if not seen with the President or first lady and to also not seek other opportunities to photograph him in his private life away from the White House except when accompanying his parents to public events.
We believe that this is the ethical and right thing to do in respecting the privacy of a child who has been thrust into the public eye but whose personal privacy deserves our respect and discretion.
Thank you.
The Executive Board of the WHNPA.
