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)

[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.

[aquila48]

The plan is working!

[USS Alaska]

“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.

Keane is FNC's paid whore that will read any script that they write for him.

Every time I see him on TV, I mute the sound.

He might have been a decent general, but now he is a whore, just selling his voice instead of ....

[californian by choice]

I don’t know why that doesn’t bother me.

[M. Thatcher]

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

Buh-Bye.

[Zathras]

CBS has been leaking Pentagon sensitive information since the 60’s.
The F15 (overpriced)
AH64 Apache (Inefective)
FA18 Hornet (Too complex)
All lies.
This is long overdue.

[Navy Patriot]

I didn't see any of that reported by MSM newspapers before page 30.

Got any links with the page number visible?

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

No, I don't. I tried to find a link to the original document but can't. But...though the press lies about a lot of things, they usually don't lie about things that can be easily refuted. So if they said it was 17 pages, I'm guessing that's probably correct. Perhaps some forms in there add to the page count, but if it truly was as short as Hegseth's tweet implied, you'd figure that short a memo would be extraordinarily easy to fine.

Hegseth's tweet reads like that his shorthand explanation for what the policy is, not the actual policy.

[egfowler3]

Hmmm, Press Passes for Olympics, NFL games, PGA games, MAJ League Baseball games, Police stations, the scene of traffic accidents, or crime scenes, movie sets, etc. and they cry over military installations???

Geeze! Get real guys.

[rxh4n1]

” If the only things they would be permitted to report are official releases, there’s no reason to have press credentials because the releases are all online anyway.”

Here’s an interesting story. The week before the Pearl Harbor attack our War Plan Rainbow was leaked and published in the Chicago Tribune. Caused quite a stir but was forgotten after the attack. I guess you’re okay with this kind of thing.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Here’s an interesting story. The week before the Pearl Harbor attack our War Plan Rainbow was leaked and published in the Chicago Tribune. Caused quite a stir but was forgotten after the attack. I guess you’re okay with this kind of thing.

Well, your guess would be wrong because I have already said upthread that I am taking about non-classified information. Here's what I posted:

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.

"Non-classified" information clearly excludes the highly classified war plans in your example. So no, I clearly would not be okay with that.

But, my question to you would be if you are okay with reporters being banned from discussing even non-classified information that may exposes shady crap like DEI, lowered standards, etc..

Because if you are going to support those kind of rules, they would apply regardless of which Administration is in power.

[MayflowerMadam]

“I’m actually with the press on this one.”

Agree. Love Hegseth, but he jumped the shark on this one. Government over-reach.

Someone on Newsmax said they won’t comply.

[rxh4n1]

“But, my question to you would be if you are okay with reporters being banned from discussing even non-classified information that may exposes shady crap like DEI, lowered standards, etc.”

They wanted access to everything, including classified information. You’re just a Trump hater with an axe to grind.