An area in the Pentagon known as “Correspondents’ Corridor” was closed and all press kicked out of the building after a federal judge sided with The New York Times in a dispute over press restrictions, reports Associated Press. New regulations state that they can only come back in if escorted.
Politico reported last October how War Sec. Pete Hegseth recently placed a new policy where reporters could have access to the Pentagon as long as they agree not publish information without approval. Journalist had to sign saying they won’t publish classified information, and failure to comply with the rules resulted in a revocation of access.
The move caused immediate backlash from the media, including Fox News, who signed a statement along with ABC, CBS and CNN that the requirements threaten core journalistic protections. According to the AP, many reporters turned in their access badges and left the Pentagon instead of complying with the policy.
The Times sued the Pentagon and Hegseth over the restrictions in December. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C. ruled in favor of the newspaper and struck down some of the agency's restrictions on news reporting.
After the Pentagon decided to shut down "Correspondents' Corridor instead, the Pentagon Press Association called the Pentagon out for restricting “vital press freedom that help inform all Americans” at such a critical time, calling the announcement “a clear violation of the latter and spirit of last week’s ruling.”
AFR Talk Host Jenna Ellis says the original rules were for a good reason.
“The whole idea originally of the Pentagon increasing restrictions on journalists was basically to prevent leaking,” Ellis says.
However, she believes the judge's ruling was correct.
“I disagree with the Pentagon here in terms of the right of the press to publish what they see fit,” Ellis states.
The judge ruled that the Pentagon was favoring certain outlets over others.
“It was viewpoint discrimination because what the Pentagon was asking would prefer certain journalists that agree with the administration over other journalists who perhaps didn't,” Ellis says.
The Department of War says it's putting up an annex where reporters can work, and they'll be allowed back in the building, but only with an escort.
Ellis says the press needs to be free to investigate the government, not just repeat it or be a PR outlet for it.
“The essential and quintessential purpose of freedom of the press is that it's designed so that the press doesn't work for the government,” Ellis states.
