The White House is restricting journalists' access to its press office to "protect sensitive information"

The White House announced on Friday, October 31, that it was restricting journalists' access to part of its press office in order to better protect "sensitive information," amid tensions between the mainstream media and the Trump administration.

Many journalists accredited to the White House have offices within the building. Until now, they could freely access two areas where White House press office staff work to request information or reactions.

Journalists' access to the first area, located near the Oval Office and housing the office of spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt and other press office officials, is now conditional on obtaining a prior appointment.

A second section, where the other press officers work and located near the press conference room, is always freely accessible to reporters, the White House memo specifies.

She explains that, due to an internal reorganization, members of the White House communications team "interact constantly with sensitive information." This new restriction is therefore intended to "protect this information and maintain coordination between the National Security Council and communications teams," the memo continues.

This announcement comes two weeks after the US Department of Defense imposed accredited journalists' restrictions on soliciting or publishing certain information without explicit departmental authorization. The majority of media outlets with reporters on the ground, from The New York Times to Fox News and AFP, refused these new conditions, and their journalists subsequently left their offices within the Pentagon.

Since January, the White House has also changed the way the small group of journalists tasked with closely following the president operates, notably by excluding the AP news agency, a central pillar of the press in the country.

She also opened access to her press conferences to a galaxy of influencers, many of whom make no secret of their support for Donald Trump. The president, who described the traditional media as "enemies of the people" during his first term, regularly attacks journalists critical of his administration and has launched several lawsuits.