The Pentagon has sparked significant controversy with its newly proposed press access rules.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has introduced new rules requiring media outlets to sign agreements stating they will not seek sensitive information from military personnel. This policy has triggered a backlash from major news organizations, including the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, and others, who have criticized the measures as an infringement on First Amendment rights.
Under the updated policy, journalists could face designation as a “security or safety risk&rddequo; if they attempt to access sensitive information from Pentagon employees. The media workers have been given until Tuesday to sign the new rules, or risk losing their press passes by Wednesday.
The Washington Post criticized the rules as “undercutting First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints” on journalists. The New York Times accused the Pentagon of threatening to punish reporters for “ordinary news gathering.”
Additional outlets including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, AP, Reuters, NPR, and The Atlantic have also rejected the Pentagon’s demand. Broadcaster Newsmax, which supports the Trump administration, stated that the requirements are “unnecessary and onerous” and requested further review.
Hegseth responded to the refusal to sign the new policy by posting a ‘goodbye’ emoji on X following statements from the Washington Post, NYT, and other media organizations. He argued that the rules are necessary to ensure that “press no longer roams free… wear visible badge… [and] no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts.”
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents reporters at the Department of War, claimed that Hegseth has been “systematically limiting access to information about the US military” since the Trump administration took office. Hegseth also previously removed NBC News, the NYT, and Politico from their office spaces at the Pentagon, although their journalists still had access to the building. Additionally, he banned reporters from accessing most hallways at the Department of War’s headquarters without an official escort.