"Pentagon staffers had banned photographers from major news wires like Reuters and the Associated Press after they became angry over what they believed were unflattering pictures of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a March 2 briefing. Two anonymous sources said the department then barred photographers from two subsequent briefings on March 4 and March 10, only allowing Defense Department staff photographers inside the room."
"The move came after most of the Pentagon press corps resigned in protest over a policy restricting journalists from soliciting information not authorized by the government."
"But you would have criticized [Biden Defense Secretary] Lloyd Austin if he threw out Reuters photographers, the host contested. I would have criticized him if he went AWOL, Jenning said, referring to an incident when Lloyd failed to properly inform the administration of leave for cancer treatment."
The Pentagon restricted photographers from major news organizations including Reuters and the Associated Press from attending briefings after Pentagon staffers objected to unflattering photographs of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth taken during a March 2 briefing. Following this incident, the department barred photographers from two additional briefings on March 4 and March 10, permitting only Defense Department staff photographers inside. This action occurred amid broader tensions between the Pentagon and the press corps, with most journalists resigning in protest over policies restricting information gathering. Conservative pundit Scott Jennings downplayed the significance of the photographer ban during a television appearance, characterizing it as minor while praising Pentagon transparency regarding Iran conflict briefings.
#pentagon-press-restrictions #media-access-and-transparency #defense-secretary-pete-hegseth #journalist-government-relations
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