Several prominent news organizations, including the New York Times, The Associated Press, and the conservative Newsmax television network, announced on Monday that they will not comply with a new U.S. Defense Department directive on press regulations. This decision could lead to the Trump administration expelling their journalists from the Pentagon.
The media outlets argue that the policy poses a threat to their constitutionally protected routine news gathering under the First Amendment. Joining the stance, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Reuters have also declared their refusal to sign the document.
In a statement, Reuters emphasized its commitment to accurate, impartial reporting and expressed concerns about the erosion of press freedoms and free flow of information outlined in the U.S. Constitution by the Pentagon’s latest restrictions.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the dissent by sharing the New York Times’ statement on X platform with a hand-waving emoji. He notified that journalists failing to acknowledge the policy in writing by the deadline would have to surrender their Pentagon access badges and vacate their workspaces the following day.
Under the new guidelines, journalists are prohibited from accessing certain areas of the Pentagon without an escort. Additionally, the Defense Department reserves the right to revoke press credentials for reporters seeking information from Defense Department personnel that has not been authorized for release by Hegseth.
Newsmax, known for its pro-Trump stance, raised objections to the perceived unnecessary and burdensome requirements and urged the Pentagon to reconsider the matter.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the regulations as establishing sensible media protocols and clarified that the policy only requires acknowledgment, not necessarily agreement, from journalists.
In response to claims made by Pentagon reporters, Hegseth reiterated his stance on granting unrestricted access to the Pentagon under the First Amendment, a position journalists refute. Reporters argue that signing the document implies that reporting unapproved information jeopardizes national security, a notion they contest.
The Pentagon Press Association criticized the requirement for reporters to affirm their understanding of ambiguous and potentially unconstitutional policies before reporting from Pentagon facilities, highlighting the public’s right to transparency regarding government and military operations.
Amid ongoing tensions, President Trump has exerted pressure on various news organizations, settling lawsuits with ABC News and CBS News, while also initiating legal actions against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Additionally, he has targeted funding for government-run services like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The clash between the media and the Defense Department underscores the broader challenges facing press freedom and government-media relations in the current political landscape.