First Thing: Defense department bars reporters from Pentagon press room
Summary
The Pentagon has stopped letting reporters enter its press office, calling it a classified area. This change is part of tighter rules that require journalists to avoid collecting any unauthorized information, causing many reporters to give up their press passes. Recently, the Pentagon invited journalists from far-right media, leading to a lawsuit by The New York Times, which won a court ruling against the Department of Defense’s restrictions.Key Facts
- The Pentagon’s press office is now a classified space, blocking reporter access.
- Since September, journalists must not collect unauthorized information or risk losing press passes.
- Many reporters refused to agree to the new rules and returned their press passes.
- The Pentagon created a new press corps mainly with journalists from far-right outlets.
- The New York Times sued the Pentagon over these rules and won a favorable court decision in March.
- The acting press secretary said the move was to protect the speechwriters sharing the space.
- Journalists and media organizations see this as a limitation on press freedom.
- The Pentagon claims it is being transparent despite these new restrictions.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.