Major news Organizations Reject Pentagon‘s New Press Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A growing number of major news organizationsโฃ areโค refusing to sign a revised press policy issued by the pentagon, citing โconcerns overโ First Amendment rightsโข and the potential for government control โover reporting. The policy, announcedโฃ recently, requires journalists to submit to new restrictions, including โvisible badge-wearing and a โprohibition against soliciting criminal acts,โฃ sparking a backlash from press advocates.
Theโฃ dispute centers โon the Pentagon’s โattempt to redefine accessโ for journalists covering the U.S. military, an institution funded by approximately $1 trillion โฃin taxpayer dollars annually. The New york Times’ Washington bureau chief, Richardโ Stevenson, stated the โขpolicy “threatens to punish journalists ‘for ordinary newsโ gatheringโ protected by the First โAmendment.'” โคHe furtherโ emphasized concerns that theโค policy “constrains how journalists can report onโข the U.S. โคmilitary.”
As of Tuesday,ABC News,CBSโ news,NBC News,and Foxโฃ News had not โคpublicly announced whether their reportersโฃ would comply with the new regulations.Sources โindicate a potential joint statement from these networks is forthcoming.โฃ
However, Oneโข America News Networkโ (OAN) has confirmed it will adhere toโฃ the policy. “After thorough review of the revised press policyโค by our attorney, โขOAN staff has signed the document,”โ said Charles Herring, a spokesperson for the network.
The issue escalated Monday as โDefenseโ Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to news of outlets refusing toโข sign withโ a โ”bye-bye” emoji on social media. He elaborated in a post onโ X (formerly Twitter), โstating, “Pentagon access is a priviledge, not a right. Press no longer roams free. โคPress must wear visibleโ badge. Credentialed pressโ no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts. DONE. Pentagon now has sameโค rules as โevery U.S. military installation.”
Pentagon press corpsโข veteransโฃ dispute Hegseth’s claims, noting that journalists already displayโ badges andโฃ do not have access to classified areas. NPR’s Tom Bowman, a Pentagon โpassholder for 28 years, wrote that signing the policy would transformโค reporters intoโค “stenographers parroting press releases, not watchdogs holding government officialsโค accountable.”
Weijia Jiang,president โคof the white House Correspondents’ Association,and Shaun tandon,president of the State Department Correspondents’ Association,released a joint โขstatement โคasserting,”Access inside the Pentagon โhas never been โคabout convenience โขto reporters. The public has a right to know how the government is conducting the people’s โคbusiness. Unfettered reportingโฃ onโ the U.S. military and its civilian leadership provides a service to those in uniform, veterans, their families and โall Americans.”โ
The โคstandoff raises essential questions about pressโค freedom โandโข government openness in covering national security โฃmatters.
