State Department orders embassies to cancel media subscriptions: Report

​​​​​​​By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US State Department has reportedly directed its embassies and consulates worldwide to cancel all subscriptions to news outlets deemed “non-mission critical,” according to a report.

According to a Washington Post report on Tuesday, a Feb. 11 directive instructed US diplomatic posts to "immediately place Stop Work Orders on all non-mission critical contracts/purchase orders for media subscriptions (publications, periodicals, and newspaper subscriptions) that are not academic or professional journals."

The directive, which applies to hundreds of US diplomatic offices, came amid broader federal cost-cutting efforts by the Trump administration.

However, a State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Post that restricting access to major news sources "could hinder assessments of threats".

A follow-up memo on Feb. 14 reportedly instructed staff to prioritize canceling subscriptions to major outlets, including The Economist, The New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, The Associated Press and Reuters.

State Department employees can appeal to retain specific subscriptions but must provide strong justifications.

The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.