The Pentagon’s Tuesday deadline for journalists to sign its new press access agreement has passed, and journalists at nearly every major media organization have turned in their badges and vacated their workplaces after refusing to comply with the War Department’s revised credentialing policy.
Reporters were seen leaving the Pentagon on Wednesday as the War Department implemented its new press policy, requiring journalists to sign an acknowledgment of access and information-gathering rules. The department had set a Tuesday deadline to sign or return credentials, and those who refused were required to vacate their offices the next morning.
The Pentagon Press Association said, “Today, the Department of Defense has confiscated the badges of Pentagon journalists from nearly every major media organization in the United States. This was done because journalists would not sign on to the new media policy under the implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution.” wrote,
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the policy. statement On Monday: “The policy doesn’t ask them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is. This has caused complete dismay to journalists, with victims crying foul online. We stand by our policy because it is what is best for our troops and the national security of this country.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Said“You would think that the Pentagon press corps, of all press corps, would want to give the president credit for making this kind of peace, and instead, all they want to talk about is a policy about him.”
He added, “Maybe the policy should look like the White House or other military installations where you have to wear a badge that identifies you’re press, or you can’t walk around wherever you want.” “It used to be, Mr. President, that the press could go anywhere, almost anywhere, in the Pentagon, the most classified area in the world.”
“If they sign the credentials, they will not try to break the law by giving classified information to soldiers,” he said. “So this is a matter of common sense. Mr. President, we are trying to make sure that national security is respected, and we are proud of this policy.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung Posted On
move Thus News organizations, including Washington PostThe new York Times, reutersThe atlanticCNN, and NPR, all announced earlier this week that they would not sign the revised access forms. Many raised concerns that the rules could chill reporting or blur the line between national security and public accountability.
The policy, finalized in September, requires accredited journalists to sign a “brief” form acknowledging information security procedures, escort requirements and limitations on movement within the Pentagon. The War Department says the rules do not restrict reporting activities or require pre-approval of coverage, but journalists argue that the language could leave them vulnerable to potential retaliation or prosecution for pursuing unauthorized information.
