WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has rolled out sweeping new restrictions on journalists covering the U.S. military, tightening control over information flow and limiting media access to its headquarters.
According to a memo distributed Friday, reporters must now sign affidavits pledging not to publish any material that has not been formally cleared by an “authorizing official,” even if the information is unclassified. Those who refuse risk losing their press credentials.
The new policy also bars journalists from moving freely inside the Pentagon, requiring them to be escorted at all times.
“The press does not run the Pentagon — the people do,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X. “Wear a badge and follow the rules – or go home.”
Critics warn the rules could cripple independent military reporting. The National Press Club slammed the guidelines, calling them an attempt to feed the public only government-approved narratives.
“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting,” said NPC President Mike Balsamo. “It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.”
The Pentagon insists the move is about safeguarding security, stating it “remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust.” But the guidelines extend to “controlled unclassified information,” effectively blocking reports based on unnamed sources — a cornerstone of military journalism.
The move comes months after Hegseth himself faced backlash for mistakenly revealing details of U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s Huthi rebels in a Signal group chat that included a reporter.
Media watchdogs and press advocates have urged the Pentagon to rescind the restrictions, warning they represent one of the most aggressive clampdowns on press freedom within the Defense Department in recent history.
Comments