The US Defense Secretary has reportedly excluded photographers from press conferences due to concerns over the quality of the images, despite the Pentagon's denial of any such intent.
The Washington Post reported that during a recent press conference held by US Defense Secretary Hagges, photographers were barred from attending as the Pentagon deemed the visual quality of previous images to be 'poor.' The Pentagon justified its decision by stating it was to use space more efficiently, although this has sparked criticism suggesting it is a new form of media control. Since the US and Israel commenced attacks on Iran on February 28, Hagges has held three press conferences at the Pentagon. The first, on March 2, allowed access to photographers from AP and Reuters, which were able to distribute images from the event. However, subsequent conferences on March 4 and 10 saw a continuation of the exclusion of media photographers, leading to questions about transparency and the relationship between the Pentagon and the press.
