Associated Press says it will continue to refer to Great Lake as 'Lake Ontario' despite Trump order

The Associated Press instructed its reporters Wednesday to refer to the Great Lake, "Lake Ontario," by its original name and not its new name of "Lake America," unless relevant to the story.

The guidance comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month that directed the United States government to refer to the great lake as "Lake America," amid tensions with Canada.

The AP highlighted its global audience and stated that changing the name of the lake would confuse readers who are unfamiliar with Trump's new order.

“The Associated Press will refer to Lake Ontario by its original name, including the name Trump has chosen when relevant,” the AP said in a statement, according to The Hill. “As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are recognizable to broad audiences.” 

The statement comes after the outlet made a similar decision last year when Trump changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.