Major news outlets refuse to cower down to Pentagon’s threat to press; CNN, Reuters, NYT to not sign paperwork amid Hegseth’s directive
In a surprising development, pro-Trump cable channel and website Newsmax said Monday that its reporters also had no plans to sign the deal. “We believe the requirements are unnecessary and burdensome and hope the Pentagon will review the matter further,” Newsmax said in a statement, CNN reported. he said.
The network is the first major pro-Trump outlet to openly oppose the policy. Fox News, by far the nation’s largest pro-Trump media outlet, has yet to comment on the matter. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Fox News for nearly a decade before joining the Trump administration.
Also read: News outlets criticize Pentagon’s new restrictions on media coverage
What the policy requires
According to CNN, the Pentagon Press Association, which represents opposition reporters, says the new policy championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “silences Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek information that has not been pre-approved for publication.”
The Pentagon’s new language “is particularly problematic because it requires reporters to express an ‘understanding’ that harm will inevitably come from disclosing unauthorized information, whether classified or not, something everyone involved knows is untrue,” the association said in a statement on Monday (October 13).
The policy requires reporters to wear visible badges and be escorted through most areas of the Pentagon building, including the offices of senior officials.
Year-round restrictions
The Pentagon Press Association said Hegseth and other officials “systematically restricted access to information about the US military” throughout the year, CNN reported. Authorities stopped holding routine news briefings; They took down many news sources from Pentagon work areas; and where reporters could enter the building without an escort was severely limited.
Analysts attributed these obstacles to Hegseth’s well-documented disdain for the press and frustration with leaks.
First Amendment concerns
The association said in a statement Monday that “this effort has resulted in the implementation of unspecified new policies that appear to violate the First Amendment,” according to CNN.
Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray said Monday that the restrictions were “unnecessary restrictions on collecting and publishing information.”
NPR executive editor Thomas Evans said Monday that the dispute was ultimately about the newsrooms’ effort to produce “credible, independent journalism for the American public” free from government influence, CNN reported.
“We call on the Pentagon and the Administration to support freedom of the press and the right of the American people to know what is being done on their behalf,” Evans said.
Also read: Pentagon risks wasting $800 million as Trump administration cancels two HR software projects
Hegseth’s response
Hegseth mocked some of the media’s concerns and embraced the disagreement on social media. On Monday, he claimed the new rules consist of three principles: “The press no longer moves freely,” “the press must wear a visible badge” and “authorized press is no longer allowed to promote criminal activity.” He also responded to several media outlets’ statements on social media with a farewell emoji, according to CNN.
Beat reporters responded to X by saying Hegseth was misleading the public.
What happens next?
Many news outlets will lose physical access to the Pentagon complex, CNN reported; it’s something that’s been a standard part of Washington-area news for decades.
Editors and reporters say they will continue to cover the U.S. military thoroughly, with or without press information. Some prominent members of the Pentagon press corps used the credentials controversy to encourage whistleblowers to contact them.
Some news outlets are said to be considering legal action, according to CNN.
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