Journalists who cowl the Protection Division on the Pentagon can not collect or report data, even whether it is unclassified, except it’s been licensed for launch by the federal government, protection officers introduced Friday. Reporters who don’t signal an announcement agreeing to the brand new guidelines may have their press credentials revoked, officers mentioned.
A number of press associations rapidly condemned the brand new guidelines and mentioned they may basically change journalists’ capacity to cowl the Pentagon and the U.S. navy. They referred to as for the Trump administration to rescind the brand new necessities, arguing they inhibit transparency to the American folks.
The Nationwide Press Membership denounced the requirement as “a direct assault on impartial journalism on the very place the place impartial scrutiny issues most: the U.S. navy.”
Democratic lawmakers additionally criticized the choice, with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the rating member on the Senate Armed Providers Committee calling the restrictions “an ill-advised affront to free speech and freedom of the press.”
“Secretary Hegseth’s restrictions on the press are a part of a broader try by this Administration to cowl up missteps, stifle impartial journalism, and obscure the reality,” Reed mentioned. “American journalists should not, shouldn’t, and should not be mere stenographers for the social gathering in energy or the Pentagon itself.”
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the brand new measures, writing on X Friday: “The ‘press’ doesn’t run the Pentagon — the folks do.”
The Pentagon despatched a memo describing the brand new measures to its in-house press corps late Friday afternoon as part of new safety necessities.
Protection Division “data should be authorised for public launch by an applicable authorizing official earlier than it’s launched, even whether it is unclassified,” the memo mentioned, citing that the division should “safeguard” categorised nationwide safety data.
The memo mentioned the Division of Struggle — the brand new secondary title for Division of Protection adopted as a part of a rebranding— might present managed unclassified data to people “when there’s a lawful governmental function for doing so.” Additional, solely “licensed individuals” with “favorable determinations of eligibility for entry, signed authorised non-disclosure agreements, and have a need-to-know could also be granted entry to” categorised nationwide safety data.
Those that fail to abide by the rule may very well be suspended or have their Pentagon entry revoked.
Badge entry could also be denied or revoked if an individual is “moderately decided to pose a safety or security danger to DoW personnel or property,” the memo mentioned. An individual will be thought-about a safety danger based mostly on “unauthorized entry, tried unauthorized entry, or unauthorized disclosure of CNSI [classified national security information] or CUI [controlled unclassified information].”
The brand new guidelines embrace additional bodily restrictions for reporters as effectively. Massive areas of the constructing are restricted, and reporters would require an escort to enter.
It’s the newest effort by Hegseth to restrict reporters on the Pentagon.
Earlier this yr, the administration largely restricted reporters to the press and meals court docket areas. For many years, Pentagon reporters with badges might stroll the halls and had entry to all however the components of the constructing that have been restricted or required safety clearances.
Mike Balsamo, the president of the Nationwide Press Membership, mentioned Pentagon reporters present important data, informing the general public on how protection {dollars} are spent and the way wars are fought.
“If the information about our navy should first be authorised by the federal government, then the general public is not getting impartial reporting,” Balsamo mentioned. “It’s getting solely what officers need them to see. That ought to alarm each American.”
The Society of Skilled Journalists additionally demanded the measure be rescinded, calling the trouble an try “to muzzle the press and deny the American folks the transparency and accountability they deserve.”
“This coverage reeks of prior restraint — probably the most egregious violation of press freedom below the First Modification — and is a harmful step towards authorities censorship,” the Society mentioned in an announcement. “Makes an attempt to silence the press below the guise of ‘safety’ are a part of a disturbing sample of rising authorities hostility towards transparency and democratic norms.”
