Ex-CNN Reporter Warns First Amendment Is Under ‘Significant Political Pressure’ As Network Is Kicked Out of Pentagon Office

Former longtime CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr warned free speech for journalists was under “significant political pressure” Thursday as she posted an image of the network’s longtime office being cleaned out.

CNN and other “legacy” media outlets have been “rotated” out of their physical workspaces as part of a new Defense Department directive. The Pentagon has claimed its making changes to which outlets have physical space at the Pentagon will ensure more journalistic voices are heard.

As outlets such as CNN and NBC News prepared to hand over their office to Trump-friendly outlets such as Breitbart News and Newsmax Thursday, Starr said goodbye to the office – with a warning in a three-post X thread.

Starr wrote, “A final shot of the office CNN used for many years in the Pentagon after ⁦@SecDef Hegseth booted several ‘legacy’ organizations out of decades old workspace. I will forever be proud of CNNs legacy and…… the many extraordinary CNN news team members who worked out of the booth including @wolfblitzer @OrenCNN @halbritz @NatashaBertrand @abdallahcnn Ryan Browne, Jamie McIntyre, Mike Mount, Charley Keyes, and so many others.”

She concluded. “CNN’s Pentagon team has been in every war zone, covered the troops from the most junior to the most senior. The 1st amendment is under significant political pressure but the CNN legacy will endure and the work goes on.”

CNN’s Pentagon team has been in every war zone, covered the troops from the most junior to the most senior. The 1st amendment is under significant political pressure but the CNN legacy will endure and the work goes on. #respect

— Barbara Starr (@bstarrreports) February 20, 2025

The Pentagon announced CNN would lose its office space earlier this month as part of what it is calling the “Annual Media Rotation Program.” In a memo, the DoD said:

The previous Administration set a hostile tone with reporters by revoking over 440 White House press credentials and restricting access by credentialed journalists covering public events at the White House, drawing a protest letter from the White House Correspondents Association.

By contrast, under this Administration, the AMRP revokes not a single press credential and places no restrictions on access for credentialed journalists covering public events at the Pentagon. Outlets that vacate the spaces currently on loan to them by the Secretary will remain full members of the Pentagon Press Corps under the AMRP. They will continue to enjoy the same media access to the Pentagon as they have previously.

The only change will be rotating out of their physical workspaces in the building to allow other outlets to have their turn to become resident members of the Pentagon Press Corps.

Former Defense One Executive Editor Kevin Baron shared Starr’s post and added, “My god. This breaks my heart. CNN, which has gone alongside the US military into every warzone they’ve gone, literally ripped out of the Pentagon. The 24hr news agency ushered in modern warfare coverage. I learned so much from my colleagues in this booth for 15 years.”

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