Posted on 10/14/2025 6:09:48 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Pentagon is telling beat reporters to sign restrictive new rules by Tuesday or surrender their press passes by Wednesday. Many news organizations are rejecting the ultimatum and saying they will not sign.
The Pentagon Press Association, a body that represents the beat reporters, says the new policy championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.”
In a statement on Monday, the association said that “potential expulsion from the Pentagon should be a concern to all.”
Last month, Hegseth’s press office outlined new rules requiring beat reporters to sign a pledge not to obtain or use unauthorized material, even if the information is unclassified. Any journalist who doesn’t sign the pledge, Hegseth said, risks losing their Pentagon press credentials.
In short, many reporters and their employers feel they can’t stomach the new restrictions, so many news outlets stand to lose physical access to the Pentagon complex — something that has been a standard part of Washington-area news coverage for decades.
Editors and reporters say they’ll continue to cover the US military thoroughly, with or without press credentials. Some well-known members of the Pentagon press corps have used the credentialing controversy to encourage tipsters to get in touch with them.
Representatives for CNN, Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and NPR have all said that journalists from their newsrooms are not signing the new paperwork about Pentagon access.
What about MAGA outlets? Some partisan media outlets have also raised objections: Newsmax, the pro-Trump cable channel and website, said Monday that its reporters have no plans to sign either.
“We believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon with review the matter...
(Excerpt) Read more at lite.cnn.com ...
The Pentagon does not have to release ANY information. War requires secrecy. I’d tell them ALL to hit the road.
... their loss!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HUGE Dittos!!!
What would Rand say?
For far too long there have been leaks and violations of Operational Security tenets, so if they won't agree, fine, exclude them.
Sue them into oblivion. They will fall in line.
Also, most of the Founding Founders hated the idea of excessive government secrecy. It wasn't an accident that the 1st Amendment was made the 1st.
But I do agree that once information has been classified, anyone who takes an oath to not divulge that information should honor their oath and if they violate it they're committing a crime that should be punished.
Curporate meria is DEAD. What do they cover of importance? Mada. Example: https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/crickets
Great less leakers then.
“the new policy championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth”
CNN says “Defense Secretary”. Was this an oversight, or deliberate?
Historically, I cannot see where reporters roaming around the Pentagon, seeking out tips from mouthy employees, has done anything to enhance national security.
Getting the media to cancel themselves.......Pete is brilliant!
They shouldn’t even be allowed in the building! A tent outside........................
Deliberate...............
There’s no law that says the press have access into the Pentagon. Frankly its just as well they stay out.
All information can be had at the local bar.................
We may not be in active war, but soldier’s .ives are still on the line around the world. Back during the war in iran, cbs and ilk were giving out the position of our snipers in their broadcasts, and the pentagon asked them to stop, and they refused. They also gave out informa5ion about supply runs that ended up gerting soldiers killed in ambushes if i recsll right.
There is some information that shpuld be classified and kept secret.
Can’t deal with opsec, then GTHO.
CC
And, keeping some cri5ical info secret is not “excessive secrecy”, 3specially qhen lives are on the line.
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