Pentagon bars photographers from briefings on Iran war
The Straits Times
This is the latest move by the Defense Department to restrict press access. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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In its first briefing after the United States attacked Iran, the Pentagon welcomed photographers from news outlets including Bloomberg, The Associated Press, Getty Images, Reuters and more.
But the Pentagon has since enacted strict limits that bar access to photographers from news organisations, the latest move by the Defence Department under Secretary Pete Hegseth to restrict press access.
The Pentagon said in a statement that it made the change for photographers to use the space in the Pentagon’s briefing room “effectively”.
“Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use,” the department said.
Mr Hegseth has taken an adversarial stance toward the news media since his first days of running the Pentagon. He proposed denying access to a reporter from NBC News from the Pentagon, then removed several news organisations from their on-site workstations. Months later, he curtailed the unescorted roaming privileges of journalists within the complex.
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