Kristina Schake, Communications Director to the First Lady, confirms in an email to Politico’s Dylan Byers that the White House pressed various media outlets, including the AFP and the Huffington Post, to pull a story about Malia Obama’s spring break vacation:
From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest. We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls.