News organizations are voicing concerns over new regulations poised to restrict media access to the Pentagon, contending that these measures constitute “intimidation” and jeopardize journalists’ capacity to inform the public about military affairs.
Journalists have less than a week to endorse the Pentagon’s revised press protocol; failure to do so could result in limitations on their access. Individuals who choose to sign commit to acknowledging the guidelines, even if they “do not necessarily agree with such policies and procedures,” as stipulated by the policy.
The department eased its new directives after discussions with reporters, in response to significant opposition to an initial proposal circulated the previous month. That earlier version, which mandated that information “must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified,” was broadly understood to imply that journalists would need Pentagon consent prior to disseminating any information not yet officially disclosed, or face the revocation of their credentials for reporting on-site.
While the updated policy no longer requires such explicit approval, the Pentagon Press Association (PPA), representing journalists covering the agency, stated on Wednesday that the amended regulations reporters are expected to sign still “appear designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs.”
In a statement, the association asserted, “This level of press access has never triggered the type of national security emergency that the department’s current leadership seems to fear.” They added, “The American populace has a right to understand the management of its military. This administration should provide them with more information, not less.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has previously accused journalists of “constantly seeking scandals” and contributing to “fake news.” Upon the release of the initial draft of these new constraints last month, Hegseth posted on X, stating, “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do.”
This policy represents the Trump Administration’s most recent effort to curtail media access to federal operations. In January, the Pentagon displaced several news organizations from their dedicated workspaces within the department, replacing them with outlets perceived as more conservative, including The Daily Caller and The Washington Examiner.
The subsequent month saw the White House bar the Associated Press from certain events, citing its failure to comply with the President’s Executive Order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
President Trump has also personally launched specific criticisms against various media organizations and publications. For example, in July, the President initiated legal action against several entities associated with the Wall Street Journal following its report that he had sent a “bawdy” birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Subsequently, in September, he took action against the New York Times concerning accusations that the newspaper aimed to harm his reputation; that particular lawsuit was dismissed days later.
The PPA confirmed on Wednesday that the Pentagon’s revised guidelines “no longer compel reporters to explicitly agree with the new policy as a prerequisite for acquiring press credentials.”
However, the association voiced apprehension that the amended version “maintains the potential threat” of credential revocation for reporters who disseminate information not yet officially sanctioned for public release, even if such information is unclassified.
“The policy sends an unparalleled message of intimidation throughout the DoD, cautioning against any unauthorized engagement with the press and even implying that speaking without explicit permission is criminal—which, quite clearly, it is not,” the PPA stated.
Furthermore, the PPA highlighted that the updated policy indicates the department’s intent to “relocate all of our news organizations from our dedicated workspaces,” a move they believe would “further isolate reporters, making it more challenging to engage even with the Pentagon’s own spokespeople tasked with approving information for public disclosure.”
Gabe Rottman, Vice President of Policy at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, also cautioned that the revised policy would present a hindrance to media endeavors in covering the Pentagon.
In a statement to several outlets, Rottman commented, “The reality is we continue to harbor concerns regarding the policy’s updated wording and anticipate it will create a substantial obstacle as journalists and their employers consider whether to endorse this revised iteration.”
