From NBC News: The Defense Department will remove media offices from the Pentagon after a federal judge sided with The New York Times in a lawsuit challenging limits on reporters’ access to the building, a department official announced Monday.
An area of the Pentagon known as “Correspondents’ Corridor” that reporters have used for decades to cover the U.S. military will close immediately, department spokesperson Sean Parnell said. Journalists will eventually be able to work from an “annex” outside the building, which he said “will be available when ready.” He offered no detail about how long that will take.
NBC News alleges that the new policy is “the latest dispute over press access to President Donald Trump’s administration, which has limited legacy media while boosting conservative and pro-Trump outlets.”
However the Pentagon asked all outlets to sign a credentialing policy aimed at preserving national security. Many outlets would not sign it, while others, including several conservative outlets, did.
The Times sued the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming its credentialing policy violated journalists’ rights. A judge sided with the Times, ordering the Pentagon to reinstate credentials and striking down some restrictions.
Parnell stated that the Defense Department disagrees with the ruling and is appealing it. He attributed the restrictions on press access to security concerns.
Under the new Pentagon rules announced Monday, Journalists will need escorts for Pentagon access, but can still attend press conferences and interviews.
The Pentagon Press Association said the announcement “is a clear violation of the letter and spirit of last week’s ruling.”
“At such a critical time, we ask why the Pentagon is choosing to restrict vital press freedoms that help inform all Americans,” the association said.
Read more at NBC News
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