Journalists from nearly every major U.S. news outlet, including The Post, turned in their press badges Wed. after refusing to adhere to the new rules for reporters at the Pentagon.
But a cadre of smaller outlets, foreign media, freelancers and MAGA-friendly press did sign on.
The list of signatories included four reporters from right-wing outlets: one from the website the Federalist, one from the Epoch Times newspaper, and two from the cable network One America News.
NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost
Katie Fallow from @knightcolumbia said the new policy is part of “the Trump administration’s broader assault on free speech and press freedom.”
“A reporter who publishes only what the government ‘authorizes’ is doing something other than reporting,” she said.
@knightcolumbia In a statement, the Pentagon has doubled down on this policy: “These are basic, common-sense guidelines to protect sensitive information as well as the protection of national security and the safety of all who work at the Pentagon."
NEW: The Washington Post obtained the reduction in force plan that Kari Lake sent to Congress.
If these layoffs are carried out in the coming weeks, only *80 people* will work at U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America — down from 1,300 in March.
Our story about how Voice of America staffers are bracing for layoffs has been updated with these new details. washingtonpost.com/style/media/20…
In the course of just a few months, Donald Trump and Kari Lake could completely dismantle Voice of America and put more than 1,200 people out of work.
This RIF represents complete destruction for a news agency started in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda.
Verification is a way for Twitter as a company to 1.) help users figure out who real celebrities, public officials, and companies are, 2.) imbue shortcuts for trustworthy news sources, and 3.) make itself safe enough for advertisers.
Twitter Blue is a suite of paid products and it’s a great idea. But conflating verification with that package has never been a good idea. The company instantly loses way more than it can ever gain.
That’s not to say that paid verification can’t be an optional paid product. But it would of course be about identity and not status in a public-facing sense. Perhaps users would want to pay a $1 a month for Twitter to check their ID and show their community they’re legit.