As the Donald Trump administration begins operations of the U.S. government, it is making changes to the way the Pentagon is covered by the news media. NBC News is one of several organizations being shuffled out of the Pentagon, while OAN, Breitbart, and the New York Post are being added.
Late last week, the Pentagon informed outlets like The New York Times, NBC News, NPR, and Politico that they would be rotated out of the building’s office space in exchange for outlets that are viewed as more favorable to Trump.
The changes are expected to be enacted on Friday, February 14th. NBC has occupied an office at the Pentagon for decades, will a full-fledged studio that includes dedicated phone lines and broadcast equipment with cameras for live communications.
With the change, the Pentagon says it is implementing a new policy that every year an outlet will rotate out of the building in exchange for another from the same medium.
“Each year, one outlet from each press medium—print, online, television, and radio—that has enjoyed working from a physical office in the Pentagon will rotate out of the building to allow a new outlet from the same medium that has not had the unique opportunity to report as a resident member,” a memo from the Department of Defense outlined.
“We’re disappointed by the decision to deny us access to a broadcasting booth at the Pentagon that we’ve used for many decades. Despite the significant obstacles this presents to our ability to gather and report news in the national public interest, we will continue to report with the same integrity and rigor NBC News always has.”
While the network, along with The New York Times, NPR, and the other organizations departing, will continue to be a member of the Pentagon’s press corps, it simply will no longer have office space.
“Our resident press corps has greatly expanded over the years, and we have always welcomed new members and will continue to do so,” the Pentagon Press Association said in a statement objecting to the upcoming policy change. Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
