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Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules
Oregon Public Broadcasting ^ | Oct. 16, 2025 | DAVID BAUDER (AP) with contributor Laurie Kellman (AP)

Posted on 10/16/2025 8:37:42 AM PDT by ransomnote

[H/T Melian]

News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classified or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.

SNIP

“It’s sad, but I’m also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together,” said Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic who has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007.

SNIP

Images of reporters effectively demonstrating against barriers to their work are unlikely to move supporters of President Donald Trump, many of whom resent journalists and cheer his efforts to make their jobs harder. Trump has been involved in court fights against The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in the past year.

SNIP

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump backed his defense secretary’s new rules. “I think he finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,” Trump said. “The press is very dishonest.”

Even before issuing his new press policy, Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel host, has systematically choked off the flow of information. He’s held only two formal press briefings, banned reporters from accessing many parts of the sprawling Pentagon without an escort and launched investigations into leaks to the media.

SNIP

“What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism,” said Jack Keane, a retired U.S. Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s former network.


(Excerpt) Read more at opb.org ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
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To: A_perfect_lady

That was easy!


21 posted on 10/16/2025 9:09:29 AM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: ransomnote

“What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism,” said Jack Keane, a retired U.S. Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s former network.

“Journalism” has become a lying, stealing and ruling game.


22 posted on 10/16/2025 9:16:26 AM PDT by TurkeyLurkey ( )
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To: ransomnote

“What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism,” said Jack Keane, a retired U.S. Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s former network.

This “journalism” has become a lying, stealing & ruling game.


23 posted on 10/16/2025 9:19:11 AM PDT by TurkeyLurkey ( )
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To: ransomnote

Outstanding. Get ‘em, Pete!

These sensible safeguards are long overdue, especially given what a bunch of leftwing activists these “journalists” are. They would gladly compromise our national security in order to damage this administration.


24 posted on 10/16/2025 9:21:10 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: ransomnote

Sounds like good news. They aren’t journalists, they are propagandists for commies.


25 posted on 10/16/2025 9:21:42 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (Annnd....TRUMP IS RIGHT AGAIN.)
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To: rktman

Yikes! I kept thinking Oregon PUblic Broadcasting and reasoned it couldn’t be that commonly posted. But then again,I should have registered that both were AP writers!


26 posted on 10/16/2025 9:23:14 AM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: ransomnote

Buh, buh, bye.


27 posted on 10/16/2025 9:25:37 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Here is the thing: No military member can make a press release without commander’s allowance anyway.


28 posted on 10/16/2025 9:27:43 AM PDT by CodeToad
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To: ransomnote

OK. Bye.


29 posted on 10/16/2025 9:29:47 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
I'm actually with the press on this one.

After 70 years of personally observing the selective, disingenuous "reporting" of the Western Mainstream Media, I'm NOT!

As a youth, I delivered honest newspapers to subscribers.

As a senior citizen I don rubber gloves to pickup the Anti American printed trash thrown on my property against my wishes.

Screw the "Press" good and hard until they reform or die.

30 posted on 10/16/2025 9:38:11 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won, Celebrate Recivilization!)
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To: bobbo666
I have zero issue with the Pentagon limiting or even eliminating physical access to the building by the press.

The part that I think was wrong was requiring the press to seek prior approval prior to printing stories even if all the information contained therein was non-classified.

We only found out about the DEI training, lowering of standards for females, etc. etc. etc., because they were reported on. I don't think a policy that requires prior approval before reporting non-classified information is a good one because it means that other information like that can be more easily covered up in the future..

That being said...exactly what is going to be the actual impact of this policy? Not the intent of the policy -- about which I could not care less -- but the actual effect of the new policy?

The only reason this policy is seen as necessary is because Hegseth was unable to stop leaks from the Pentagon side of things. So because he can't stop the leaks from Pentagon employees, he's trying to stop the press from printing those leaks. Except as soon as all the press refuse to sign the agreement, that goal fails because the leaks will keep happening, and the press can just keep printing them.

So I'm not sure what is being accomplished.

31 posted on 10/16/2025 9:38:57 AM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin (L)
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To: Navy Patriot
Were you glad when, during the Biden Administration, some in the press reported on the ridiculous DEI training and racial favoritism? Were you glad when lowered combat standards for women were being reported? Heck, Hegseth himself on FoxNews was reporting that kind of information that leaked out of the Biden Administration.

Obviously, the Biden Administration didn't want any of that reported, but it got out anyway. But if Biden had this same policy, we might never have known.

32 posted on 10/16/2025 9:41:57 AM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin (L)
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To: ransomnote

it sounds like the problem is being cleaned up

there is no alternative to maintaining security over war-defense-related information, at least on a current basis

publishing it can cost a lot of lives as our mass media (intentionally or not) serves enemy forces and terrorist gangs by being-— in effect — their spies in our Pentagon


33 posted on 10/16/2025 9:45:14 AM PDT by faithhopecharity ("Politicians aren't born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
Somehow, I think Hegseth's three little bullet points are not telling the entire story....

Journalists who don’t abide by the policy risk losing credentials that provide access to the Pentagon, under a 17-page memo distributed Friday that steps up media restrictions imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump.

“Information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified,” the directive states. The signature form includes an array of security requirements for credentialed media at the Pentagon.

https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-media-restrictions-nondisclosure-8420d3a80de20a39605c588d9990c582

The funny thing about this is that under Hegseth's rules, the press apparently couldn't even report that he had instituted this entire policy unless he first gave them permission to do so.

They had no choice but to decline.

34 posted on 10/16/2025 9:46:11 AM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin (L)
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To: ransomnote

“Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic”

Islamic name for a constantly lying America hating racist “news” outlet. Aww shucks.


35 posted on 10/16/2025 10:06:07 AM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower.)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

I believe most, if not all, of the news anchors in the table below were likely subject to quiet removal due to their participation in the RussiaGate conspiracy against Donald J Trump.

Sen Johnson (1) and Devin Nunes (2, 3) said in interviews (2025) that the MSM played a major role in RussiaGate and prevented the truth from reaching the public. They lumped media together with the 2 dozen or so Deep Staters (Obama, Comey, Hillary, etc.) who moved together (with some exceptions) through each of the fake hoaxes the Dems/MSM launched to try to incriminate or remove PResident Donald Trump in his first term. 

I asked GROK for a list of prominent news anchors who resigned in the past 7 years and from that list, I asked GROK to list only those who played a significant role reporting on Russiagate (hoping it would cover all of the Obama, Hillary, Mueller attempts).

Here's the list of RussiaGate anchors, the DATE RANGE they were reporting on RussiaGate, the name of their news outlet, the date they resigned, and the hyperlinked source for that information. 

NameDate Range for Reporting on RussiagateCompanyReason Given for DepartureDate of Departure
Thomas FrankJanuary 2017 – June 2017CNNResignation following the retraction of a Russia-related story alleging ties between Trump associate Anthony Scaramucci and a Russian investment fund under investigation; editorial processes not followed.June 26, 2017
Eric LichtblauApril 2017 – June 2017CNNResignation following the retraction of a Russia-related story alleging ties between Trump associate Anthony Scaramucci and a Russian investment fund under investigation; editorial processes not followed.June 26, 2017
Lex HarisJanuary 2017 – June 2017CNNResignation following the retraction of a Russia-related story alleging ties between Trump associate Anthony Scaramucci and a Russian investment fund under investigation; editorial processes not followed.June 26, 2017
NameDate RangeNews OutletDate of ResignationSource for Resignation Date
Joy Reid2016–2019MSNBCAnnounced February 24, 2025USA Today
Jim Acosta2017–2019CNNJanuary 28, 2025USA Today
Chuck Todd2017–2019NBC NewsJanuary 2025USA Today
Andrea Mitchell2016–2019MSNBC/NBC NewsEarly 2025 (announced December 2024)Newsweek
Alisyn Camerota2017–2019CNNDecember 2024TV Insider
Don Lemon2017–2019CNNApril 24, 2023CNN
Brian Williams2017–2019MSNBCDecember 9, 2021USA Today
Chris Cuomo2017–2019CNNDecember 4, 2021CNN
Shepard Smith2017–2019Fox NewsOctober 11, 2019New York Times
Tucker Carlson2017–2019Fox NewsApril 24, 2023NPR
Chris Wallace2017–2019Fox News (later CNN)November 2024Adweek
Poppy Harlow2017–2019CNNApril 2024Adweek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Devin Nunes' report (two links at the very bottom) proves the MSM never had a single shred of evidence, because the original intel report he prepared proved that Trump and Putin were not involved in Russian collusion. The CIA, Mueller and all other intel provided zero basis for the accusations of RussiaGate, yet the MS worked to unseat the duly elected president for years, up to an including trying to stop him from being re-elected.
The MSM never followed the truth in the assasination attempts. The MSM was present, set up to film the assasination on the golf course. They are the enemy. If they don't want to be treated like the enemies they are, then they need to publicly accept accountability for the past decade of lies, issue public retractings for all those years of lies, fight to uproot treason in their ranks and work to earn the public trust for the next 10 years. They stand a tiny chance of earning respect but it's unlikely as long as they prance around, preening as if they have a reputation for noble truth warriors.
In the quote below, Benz is talking about the fact tat the RussiaGate hoax was not based on intel (there was none). Think back and recall the MSM was the (proud) engine driving 'the narrative' and that it daintily wiped its hands without ethical retractions of years worth of their work, and firings of staff, when Trump was cleared of charges.

Russiagate Revisited: Uncovering the Truth
 (excerpt) John Solomon Reports

July 30, 2025

SNIP

Mike Benz: Let me make this completely clear. This is how much of it was ever substantiated - nothing, none of it. If you read the January 6, 2017 CIA report on Russian interference, all they allege is that Russian social media accounts, like Russia Today and Sputnik, had gotten far more engagement during the 2016 election cycle, and that they hypothesized that the Russians favored Trump, and so therefore Sputnik and RT were having an influence.

It was only after that that they came up with Russian bots and trolls. And here's how much they claimed to find, about $150,000 worth of the Facebook ads, half of which supported Hillary Clinton. None of that was corroborated. We don't know if those were just random Americans using a Russian VPN so that their IP address look like it came from Russia. That was a popular thing to do; to use VPN to pipe in from Central and Eastern Europe, or Belarus, or Russia, to mask your IP address.

SNIP

They were bluffing the entire time.

Interesting interview from Devin Nunes discussing how his report exposed the RussiaGate hoax - it was based on lies, not intel.

WHAT WERE THEY LOOKING FOR?' Nunes raises questions over Mar-a-Lago raid (PART 1 of MY NOTES on Fox News 14 minute video)

10/6/2025, 5:08:13 PM · by ransomnote · 24 replies
YOUTUBE ^ | Jul 27, 2025 | Devin Nunes, Maria Bartiromo

'WHAT WERE THEY LOOKING FOR?' Nunes raises questions over Mar-a-Lago raid (PART 2 of MY NOTES on Fox News 14 minute video)

10/7/2025, 1:25:21 PM · by ransomnote · 9 replies
YOUTUBE ^ | 10/07/2025 | Devin Nunes via Maria Bartiromo

36 posted on 10/16/2025 10:09:49 AM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: ransomnote

I guess everyone has forgotten how corrupt the DoW is.


37 posted on 10/16/2025 10:17:59 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: ransomnote

This is great news!!!!


38 posted on 10/16/2025 10:33:58 AM PDT by Faith65 (Isaiah 40:31)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Re: 7 - of course, when the shoe is on the other foot, people will be wailing about there being limited access, if in fact there is a Dem administration that continues with this policy.

For people poor at discernment, it all depends on which tribe is in power.


39 posted on 10/16/2025 10:37:24 AM PDT by Fury
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
The only reason this policy is seen as necessary is because Hegseth was unable to stop leaks from the Pentagon side of things. So because he can't stop the leaks from Pentagon employees, he's trying to stop the press from printing those leaks. Except as soon as all the press refuse to sign the agreement, that goal fails because the leaks will keep happening, and the press can just keep printing them.

Bingo. Those that are poor at discernment are probably not going to comprehend what you posted.

40 posted on 10/16/2025 10:39:01 AM PDT by Fury
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