US journalists handed in their Pentagon press badges in protest over new rules that could see reporters banned for citing even unclassified information if not officially approved.
Every major news organization — including those seen as broadly supportive of the Trump administration — gave their accreditation passes back; one veteran NPR defense correspondent said the rules would “make us stenographers parroting press releases.”
The guidelines also say journalists must be escorted by officials when moving around Defense Department buildings.
The administration has long had an antagonistic relationship with the press, with President Donald Trump suing several outlets and cutting funding for state-run media such as Voice of America.