The Pentagon has revised its ground rules for reporters and photographers covering military trials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earning praise from news organizations that had protested the policies as unduly restrictive.
The Defense Department issued new guidelines Friday, including not barring reporters who print information they've gathered independently of the detention camp, even if officials have deemed the information "protected."
News organizations in May had protested the Pentagon's decision to bar four reporters from Guantanamo for identifying an interrogator by name in stories written from Guantanamo. Though he was described in court only as "Interrogator No. 1," the interrogator's name had been known for years after he gave newspaper interviews.
David A. Schulz, an attorney for several of the news organizations with ousted reporters, including McClatchy, called the changes to the rules "significant." The news groups had argued that the tough restrictions made it difficult for the public to know what was happening at the camp, which the Obama administration has vowed to close.
"They've made a concerted effort to respond to the concerns that were raised and they've taken several significant steps to improve the ability of reporters to cover what is happening at Guantanamo," Schulz said. "I think it's an earnest effort to respond to the problems the press has experienced in trying to cover military commissions."