On January 14, Roll Call reported, “The Senate sergeant-at-arms and Capitol Police are launching an unprecedented crackdown on the Capitol press corps for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.” The planned restrictions suggest that “credentialed reporters and photographers whom senators interact with on a daily basis are considered a threat.” Many journalists quickly denounced the move. 

According to the report, the rule changes are a “break with precedent” from the previous impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton and force journalists to remain in a “press pen” as senators enter and exit the chamber. The move will “squelch” the “time-honored practice” among Capitol Hill reporters of “walking, talking and relationship-building” with senators as they move through the building, making it far easier for them to avoid journalists’ questions on Trump’s impeachment trial. Additional security also “has the potential to cause delays and shape coverage of the impeachment trial itself.” 

Sarah Wire, Los Angeles Times congressional reporter and chair of the Standing Committee of Correspondents, said in a detailed Twitter thread that the committee’s suggestions for better policies “were rejected without an explanation of how the restrictions contribute to safety rather than simply limit coverage of the trial.”
 

The Standing Committee sought to address our concerns with the Sergeant at Arms and with Rules Committee before final decisions were made, but decisions are being made quickly as plans for the trial are completed and we are hearing that nearly every suggestion has been rejected

— Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) January 14, 2020

Our suggestions were rejected without an explanation of how the restrictions contribute to safety rather than simply limit coverage of the trial.

— Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) January 14, 2020

In addition to at least two members of Congress -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who is also a ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee -- multiple journalists have criticized the rule changes as an attempt to restrict press coverage of an important public-interest event, potentially impacting coverage of other stories as well. 

CNN senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju:

The restrictions being placed on reporting in the Capitol during the impeachment trial are totally unacceptable. Reporters need access to senators so the public knows their views about the evidence. These steps need to be reversed to allow press access of this historic event https://t.co/8RmiWW0SGd

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 14, 2020

NBC Capitol Hill correspondent Kasie Hunt:

These are the unprecedented restrictions on reporters’ movements during the upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate. Take a look and think about whether you want your senator to face questions during this critical time —> https://t.co/u7W4wCKxyp

— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) January 14, 2020

HuffPost politics reporter Igor Bobic:

This is going to make it very difficult to ask senators questions during the impeachment trial -- especially those who do not want to talk to the press. Like, for example, the ones who already try to avoid reporters -- the ones facing tough reelection fights in 2020 https://t.co/CIlAz35bcv

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 14, 2020

Washington Post White House reporter Seung Min Kim:

Excessive restrictions like these only hurt the public who are rightfully seeking up-to-date information on an incredibly historic event such as the third impeachment trial of a U.S. president in history. I am floored. https://t.co/bX3aveurrd

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 14, 2020

I mean ... when the articles of impeachment are walked over, “just one video camera and no still photographers will be allowed to document the historic moment.”

!!!!!!!!!

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) January 14, 2020

Washington Post congressional reporter Mike DeBonis:

NO STILL PHOTOGRAPHERS allowed to document the transfer of the articles to the Senate?!?!?
I stand with the Standing Committee of Correspondents & scores of colleagues who cover the Capitol daily in condemning this outrageous breach of press freedom. https://t.co/lF4B0fJKUg

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) January 14, 2020

CNN congressional reporter Jeremy Herb:

These unnecessary restrictions on the Capitol press corps will make it much harder for the public to get news out of the Senate impeachment trial and much easier for senators to avoid scrutiny of what they're doing during the trial https://t.co/Hz1v6DnpK7

— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) January 14, 2020

Bloomberg Law reporter Shira Stein:

These restrictions won’t just affect coverage of the impeachment trial, it will hurt coverage of other issues (because other policy things will still be happening). https://t.co/Ca51fWGuRT

— Shira Stein (@shiramstein) January 15, 2020

AP Chief Photographer in Washington Evan Vucci:

New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser

Niskanen Center VP for Research Will Wilkinson: