The Pentagon Press Association, which represents the beat reporters, said in a statement that the proposed policy “gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.” On Tuesday, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBC News, and Fox News (Hegseth’s former stomping grounds) released a joint statement on the matter: “Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues,” it reads. “The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”
This is the latest in a string of attacks on the media from the Trump administration, and in the ongoing attempts to limit and control reporters’ access in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year, the White House Correspondents’ Association condemned the admin’s meddling in the briefing room; the Associated Press also had to fight to regain access to presidential events after being banned. In addition to the above outlets, Reuters, The Associated Press, The Guardian, HuffPost, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and even Trump-friendly Newsmax have indicated their reporters will not sign the Pentagon pledge. CNN reports the only org to publicly agree to the policy change is One America News, an outlet that stands to the right of Fox and Newsmax.
The near-universal rejection of the policy change so far hasn’t caused the Pentagon to blink. A spokesperson for the Pentagon said the pledge has “caused reporters to have a full-blown meltdown, crying victim online,” adding, “We stand by our policy because it’s what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.” The Pentagon Press Association stated that the “vague new policies… appear to violate the First Amendment,” warning that the “potential expulsion from the Pentagon should be a concern to all.”
