Pentagon reporters walk out over new media restrictions

 

Nearly every Pentagon beat reporter turned in their badges Wednesday, walking out in protest against new media restrictions imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The new rules require journalists to pledge not to “solicit unauthorized material,” even if unclassified — a condition major outlets say violates First Amendment protections.

 

Around 40 reporters representing nearly all major U.S. news organizations, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, AP, Bloomberg, Politico, and NPR, refused to sign the pledge. They left the building en masse at 4 p.m., an hour before the deadline set by Hegseth’s office. The Hill and NewsNation joined the boycott, while the only outlet to accept the new rules was One America News Network (OANN), which has been broadly supportive of the administration.

 

The walkout marks the first time since the Eisenhower era that the Pentagon has no permanent press corps on site. Reporters say they will continue covering the military remotely, accusing the Defense Department of trying to “stifle a free press” and intimidate personnel into silence.

 

Under Hegseth’s new guidelines, journalists who solicit nonpublic information could be deemed a “security or safety risk,” even if the material is not classified. The Pentagon says publication of unsolicited classified leaks remains “generally protected” under the First Amendment — but that seeking them out crosses a line.

 

President Trump defended the policy Tuesday, saying the press has been “very dishonest” and that Hegseth’s rules were necessary to protect “world peace and national security.” The Pentagon Press Association countered that the new system represents “an unprecedented message of intimidation” toward both journalists and Defense Department staff.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Pentagon reporters quit en masse over restrictive new press rules.

• Policy bans soliciting unapproved info; major outlets call it censorship.

• OANN is the only outlet to accept; Trump backs the Hegseth policy.

 

Source: The Hill

Standing up for freedom of the press.