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Pentagon Bans Photographers After Unflattering Photos of Defense Secretary Hegseth Published

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Key Points
  • The U.S. Department of Defense has banned photographers from press conferences after unflattering photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were published.
  • The decision reportedly came after Hegseth's staff expressed dissatisfaction with 'unflattering' images taken during a press conference following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
  • The National Press Photographers Association has condemned the move, calling it a poor prioritization during wartime.

S. Department of Defense has reportedly banned photographers from press conferences after unflattering photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were published, according to sources cited by the Washington Post. S.

and Israeli attacks on Iran. When photographers showed up for a subsequent press conference, they were reportedly denied entry, and since then only the Defense Department's own photographers have been allowed to attend. ' The incident follows previous tensions between the Pentagon and journalists, including last October when hundreds of reporters returned their press credentials after refusing to sign a policy prohibiting them from requesting information not approved by the government.

excluding photographers because a public official didn't like how they were portrayed shows 'a surprisingly poor sense of priorities during an ongoing war.'

National Press Photographers Association

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