White House restricts journalist access to area housing communications offices

The White House announced Friday that journalists will no longer be allowed free access to an area of ​​the West Wing where several senior communications officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, have offices.

In its statement, the National Security Council stated that journalists were prohibited from entering room 140, also known as “Upper Press” near the Oval Office, without an appointment, arguing that this move was necessary to protect potentially sensitive materials and protect national security.

“In order to safeguard such materials and maintain coordination between National Security Council Staff and White House Communications Staff, members of the press are no longer permitted to access Room 140 without prior approval in the form of an appointment with an authorized White House Staff,” the statement said. It was said.

Authorized White House journalists had previously been able to enter Room 140 at short notice to speak with senior officials. Journalists will still have access to another area where lower-level White House communications staff have desks, the statement said.

TURLEY warns PENTAGON’S NEW PRESS RULES Could be ‘a bridge too far’

The White House Correspondents’ Association argued that the new restrictions would impact reporters’ ability to question officials, ensure transparency and hold the government accountable.

“The White House Correspondents Association publicly opposes any effort to restrict journalists from areas that have long been available for newsgathering within the White House communications operations, including the press secretary’s office,” CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, the group’s current president, said in a statement. he said.

Reporters were caught secretly recording video and audio in offices and wandering around restricted areas, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said Friday.

“Some reporters were caught secretly recording video and audio of our offices, as well as images of sensitive information, without permission,” he wrote to X. “Some reporters entered restricted areas… Some reporters were caught eavesdropping on private, closed-door meetings. Cabinet Secretaries routinely come to our office for private meetings, only to be ambushed by reporters waiting outside our door.”

The National Security Council said that journalists were prohibited from entering room 140, also known as “Upper Press”. (AP)

The Clinton administration announced in 1993 that it had made a similar move to restrict press access to Room 140, but this move was later canceled after strong reactions.

This comes after the Pentagon recently announced a new policy that news organizations must accept new press restrictions or lose media credentials and Pentagon workspaces.

The policy requires journalists to commit to new rules, including that their Pentagon press badges could be revoked if they could be viewed as a security risk and ask employees to disclose information not disclosed by the department, even if it is not classified.

GENE JACK KEANE REACTS TO PENTAGON’S NEW PRESS ACCESS POLICY

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung claimed that reporters were caught secretly recording video and audio in offices and wandering around restricted areas. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

At least 30 news organizations, including Fox News, have refused to accept the Pentagon’s media restrictions; He argued that this policy posed a threat to press freedom and hindered independent newsgathering.

Additionally, the Trump administration earlier this year removed Reuters, Associated Press, and Bloomberg News from the permanent “pool” of reporters covering the president; however, these outlets may still occasionally be included.

Reuters contributed to this report.