Journalists covering the U.S. military are facing a deadline next week to decide whether to sign a statement acknowledging new restrictions on their reporting or risk losing access to the Pentagon. The dispute centers on recent rules issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that limit reporters’ movements within the building and require official approval for information requests.
The Pentagon Press Association said Wednesday that efforts to negotiate changes to the restrictions “have not been as successful as we had hoped.” According to the association, the new rules send “an unprecedented message of intimidation” to anyone in the Defense Department who might consider speaking with journalists without approval from Hegseth’s team.
When these policies were introduced two weeks ago, news organizations raised concerns about having to sign off on restrictions, including one that would bar them from reporting any news—even if unclassified—without official permission. The Pentagon has since clarified it cannot stop journalists from reporting but can revoke credentials for those who seek information without prior authorization.
“We acknowledge and appreciate that the Pentagon is no longer requiring reporters to express agreement with the new policy as a condition for obtaining press credentials,” the press association stated. “But the Pentagon is still asking us to affirm in writing our ‘understanding’ of policies that appear designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs.”
The association is not advising its members on whether they should sign. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), which has also been in discussions with Pentagon officials, expressed ongoing concerns and expects “that it will pose a significant impediment as journalists weigh with their employers whether or not to sign.” RCFP did not respond when asked if it was recommending any specific action.
Another issue raised by the press association is an unexpected plan by the department to relocate journalists from their current workspace, which could further isolate them. They noted that Pentagon reporters have operated under consistent rules since President Eisenhower’s administration, including during Donald Trump’s first term, and dismissed suggestions that reporters have misused their access.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon, Sean Parnell, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
In a recent Fox News interview, Hegseth defended the policy: “We’re not playing games. We’re not allowing everybody to roam around the building.” He added: “Yes, you can be in the press area, briefing room, but if you want to move around the building, you’re going to have a badge, it’s going to be cleared, you’re going to be escorted when you do so, and we have expectations that you’re not soliciting classified or sensitive information. I think the American people see things like that as absolute common sense. The Pentagon press corps can squeal all they want.”
Former President Trump has previously pressured news organizations through lawsuits against outlets such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and has acted against government-funded media services like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The Pentagon Press Association argued: “Limiting the media’s ability to report on the U.S. military fails to honor the American families who have entrusted their sons and daughters to serve in it, or the taxpayers responsible for giving the department hundreds of billions of dollars a year.”
“The American people deserve to know how their military is being run.”
