Press photographers areno longer permitted to take photos inside the Pentagon press briefing roomafter several outlets published “unflattering” photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, two people familiar with the situation told theWashington Post.
On March 2, Hegseth held a press conference with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff tobrief the press on the U.S. and Israel military strikeson Iran thatkilled Ayatollah Ali Khameneiin February.
Shortly after, wire service photographers – such as those from the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images – published photos of the defense secretary speaking with the media. This is typical for nearly all press conferences held by a government official.
But afterward, members of Hegseth’s staff reportedly told colleagues they did not like the way the defense secretary looked. In pressbriefings on March 4andMarch 10, photographers were not permitted inside.
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilsonsaid in a statement that in order to use the briefing room “effectively,” only one representative per uncredentialed news outlet was permitted inside.
“Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use. If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential,” Wilson wrote.
Last year, the Pentagon implementeda new rule for mediathat required credentialed outlets to agree to a new policy that states reporters cannot gather or publish information from the Defense Department that is not explicitly authorized.
That includes declassified information or off-the-record conversations, no matter where the information was obtained.
Many mainstream media outlets refused to sign the agreement, finding the new rules oppressive. As a result, major broadcasters such as Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News; legacy newspapers such as the Associated Press,New York Times,Washington PostandWall Street Journal; andother outlets lost their Pentagon press credentials.
But the Pentagon made exceptions for the March 2 press conference, requesting major broadcast TV cameras and allowing some reporters in the briefing room.
Source: Drudge Report
