White House restricts media access.
The White House on Friday imposed new restrictions on reporters, no longer allowing them access to Room 140, or the “Senior Press Room,” a room on the West Wing of the White House near the Oval Office that houses the key White House communications director’s office.
The new restrictions on journalists imposed by the White House and the Pentagon have raised concerns about press freedom and First Amendment advocates.
The policy changes, which limit how and when reporters can access critical government information and areas, have drawn criticism, threatening transparency and hindering the media’s ability to hold officials accountable, Newsweek reported.
The White House restrictions come in the wake of similar controversial rules at the Pentagon.
“As a result of recent structural changes at the National Security Council, the White House is now responsible for directing all communications, including all national security matters,” said Atra al-Nashar, a national correspondent for the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. “Members of the White House Communications Staff routinely handle sensitive material.”
“To protect such material and maintain coordination between National Security Council staff and White House communications staff, members of the press are no longer authorized to access Room 140 without prior approval in the form of an appointment with an authorized member of the White House staff,” the White House memo, released late yesterday afternoon, said.
Newsweek noted that the restrictions at the White House come after a parallel crackdown on the press at the Pentagon.