...
By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A member of the White House press team said The Washington Post did not include her comments in a report on a Pentagon decision to ban photographers from press briefings.
“Fake news 'reporter' @ScottNover said we declined to comment for this story. Not true! He just didn’t like my comment because it exposes how little the Washington Post cares about access for photographers. They just fired all of their White House photographers! Fake outrage,” White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly wrote on X.
Kelly included a photo that appeared to show an email exchange between her and Nover.
Read More on News
One message read, “Scott Nover here from the Washington Post. Do you know why the Pentagon has not allowed photographers into its press briefings since last Monday? Is that consistent with White House guidance? Thank you. Please let me know if you have any comment.”
The reply read, “Please include in full! ‘Didn’t the Washington Post just fire all of its White House photographers?’ - Anna Kelly”
The report did not include the comment and stated, “White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly declined to comment on Hegseth’s decision to shut out reporters.”
In another post, Kelly said, “In fact, according to the New York Times, the Washington Post has cut ALL staff photographer positions! Yikes!”
Newsweek reached out to the White House and The Washington Post for comment.
Why It Matters
The press has faced some challenges in covering the Department of Defense under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Most mainstream news organizations have left their desks at the Pentagon rather than accept new rules implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration that restrict their movements and whom they can talk to.
Several conservative news outlets, including Frontlines by Turning Point USA and LindellTV, run by “MyPillow” CEO Mike Lindell, announced last year that they had agreed to the new press policy, forming a new Pentagon press corps.
The Pentagon has been giving passes to reporters who vacated their desks in order to attend Hegseth’s briefings on the Iran war.
What To Know
The Pentagon has not allowed photographers to cover Hegseth’s last two briefings on the war in Iran.
Several media outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images, sent photographers to a March 2 briefing from Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Washington Post reported.
...
After photos of the briefing were published, members of Hegseth’s staff told colleagues that they did not like how the secretary looked, according to the outlet. Hegseth’s aides then decided to bar photographers from briefings at the Pentagon on March 4 and March 10, the outlet reported, citing two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
It is unclear whether one specific photo or multiple led to the decision, the outlet reported. When photographers showed up at last Wednesday’s briefing, they were not allowed to enter, the outlet reported, citing two other people familiar with the situation who also spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) said it "strongly condemns" the reported decision by the Department of Defense to exclude press photographers from Pentagon briefings.
"NPPA finds it stunning that one of the nation’s highest officials is more concerned with his personal vanity than with complete and accurate reporting of briefings during a war against Iran in which Americans have lost their lives," the NPPA wrote. "Preventing credentialed journalists from documenting official government briefings because officials dislike how they appear in photographs raises serious First Amendment concerns."
The NPPA urged news organizations to refuse to publish government-issued photographs for events where news photographers were shut out for content-based reasons.
National Press Club president Mark Schoeff Jr. said the decision to bar news photographers from Pentagon briefings is "deeply troubling and runs counter to the fundamental principles of transparency in a democratic society."
"The National Press Club urges the Department of Defense to immediately restore access for credentialed news photographers and reaffirm its commitment to open engagement with the press. A government confident in its actions welcomes scrutiny. It does not restrict it," Schoeff said in a statement posted on X.
What People Are Saying
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson, in a statement obtained by The Washington Post: “In order to use space in the Pentagon Briefing Room effectively, we are allowing one representative per news outlet if uncredentialed, excluding pool. Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use. If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential.”
Charles Stadtlander, spokesman for The New York Times, in a statement to the Associated Press: “As The Times has long said, there is a clear importance and public service to allowing journalists to report fully on the U.S. military. This includes photojournalists, who deserve access and credentialing to attend Pentagon briefings.”
Alex Garcia, NPPA president, in a statement: "Excluding photographers from Pentagon briefings because officials did not like how published images portrayed them shows an astonishingly poor sense of priorities in the midst of a war and is, for a public servant, not a good look. A free press cannot function if government officials decide that only favorable images of public officials may be created or distributed. The public has the right to an independent visual record of what its government is doing, not a carefully curated collection of images approved by those in power. We urge news organizations to reject the use of government handout photos of the briefings.”
National Press Club president Mark Schoeff Jr., in a statement posted on X: "When the government decides which images the public is allowed to see, transparency is replaced by control. Accountability doesn't take place behind closed doors. Independent photojournalism is a cornerstone of a free society and an essential part of documenting history as it happens. If the Pentagon believes the public deserves to be informed, it should allow journalists to bear witness, not restrict them when the images are inconvenient.”
Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
Update 3/11/26, 4:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines