US President Donald Trump's White House barred several major US media outlets from a daily press briefing yesterday, raising accusations of favouritism.
The White House excluded some outlets that have provided critical coverage like CNN and the New York Times from an off-camera event that replaced the traditional on-camera daily briefing.
Much smaller conservative outlets like the One America News Network that have provided favourable coverage did attend.
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Mr Trump earlier decried the media as the "enemy of the people," a day after his top strategist promised relations with the press will get "worse every day".
Mr Trump's attacks on the media are popular with his core supporters.
A number of news outlets that regularly cover the White House as part of the 'pool', including newswires Reuters and Bloomberg, attended the briefing.
The Associated Press boycotted in protest. AFP protested being excluded, despite being in the 'pool' and attended the briefing uninvited.
The White House Correspondents Association said it was "protesting strongly" against the White House decision.
"The board will be discussing this further with White House staff," said president Jeff Mason.
During the off-camera briefing Sean Spicer defended its stance, saying the White House has shown an "abundance of accessibility".
"We've actually gone above and beyond, with making ourselves, our team and our briefing room more accessible than probably any previous administration," said Mr Spicer.
It is not uncommon for Republican and Democratic administrations to brief select reporters, but the event was initially billed as a regular briefing which is open to any credentialed media.
The BBC's response to being barred, along with other selected media, from today's White House press briefing. pic.twitter.com/HMAiNc3CTS
— Paul Danahar (@BBCDanahar) February 24, 2017
Earlier, Mr Trump had complained about those that spread "fake news" in a speech before the Republican party faithful.
Mr Trump made the comments at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.
With Mr Trump in the White House and Republicans holding majorities in Congress, CPAC and the thousands of conservative activists who flock to the event each year from across the country are seeing their political influence rising.
Mr Trump credited the CPAC for launching him as a legitimate political candidate and thanked members for their support.
"So, I've been with CPAC for a long time. All of these years we've been together, and now you finally have a president, finally."
"And it's patriots like you that made it happen, believe me. Believe me. You did it because you love your country, because you want a better future for your children, and because you want to make America great again," he said to applause.
Mr Trump sought to clarify a recent tweet in which he said some in the US news media should be considered an "enemy of the people."
"I'm against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn't be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody's name. Let their name be out there," Mr Trump said.
"Let there be no more sources."
Mr Trump has repeatedly chosen to make criticism of the news media a central focus of his public remarks since taking office on 20 January even as the courts blocked his order temporarily barring entry for people from seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees, he fired his national security adviser and he faces questions about Russian interference in the 8 November US election.
"They say that we can't criticise their dishonest coverage because of the First Amendment. You know they always bring up the First Amendment. And I love the First Amendment. Nobody loves it better than me, nobody. I mean, who uses it more than I do? But the First Amendment gives all of us - it gives it to me, it gives it to you, it gives it to all Americans - the right to speak our minds freely. It gives you the right, and me the right to criticise fake news and criticise it strongly," Mr Trump added.
The speech allowed Mr Trump to put his stamp firmly on the political movement even as some activists worry that his immigration and trade policies go too far.
Mr Trump addressed the third day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, which has focused on how to fulfill long-held Republican goals to revamp the US tax code, repeal federal regulations on industry and repeal former Democratic President Barack Obama's healthcare law.
Trump wants US to have more nuclear weapons
Mr Trump said he wants to ensure the US nuclear arsenal is at the "top of the pack," saying the US has fallen behind in its weapons capacity.
In a Reuters interview, Mr Trump also said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea very easily if they wanted to, increasing the pressure on Beijing to exert more influence to rein in Pyongyang.
In his first comments about the US nuclear arsenal since taking office on 20 January, Mr Trump was asked about a December tweet in which he said the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capacity.
President Trump said he would like to see a world with no nuclear weapons but expressed concern that the United States had fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity.
Russia has 7,000 warheads and the United States, 6,800, according to the Plough shares Fund, an anti-nuclear group.
The new strategic arms limitation treaty, known as New START, between the United States and Russia requires that by 5 February 2018, both countries must limit their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons to equal levels for ten years.
