Journalists who report on the Pentagon are now restricted from collecting or sharing information, even if it’s not classified, unless it’s been approved for release by the government, according to defense officials on Friday. Reporters who do not agree to these new guidelines by signing a statement will face revocation of their press credentials, officials warned.
Numerous press associations strongly opposed the new regulations, warning that they will significantly impact journalists’ ability to report on the Pentagon and the U.S. military. They urged the Trump administration to withdraw the requirements, stating that they limit transparency crucial for the American public.
The National Press Club criticized the requirement, labeling it “a direct assault on independent journalism where it is most needed: within the U.S. military.”
Criticism also came from Democratic lawmakers, such as Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who condemned the restrictions as “a misguided challenge to free speech and press freedom.”
“Secretary Hegseth’s press restrictions are part of a wider agenda by this administration to hide errors, suppress independent journalism, and conceal the truth,” Reed stated. “American journalists are not, should not, and must not merely echo the words of those in power or the Pentagon.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the new measures, writing on X Friday: “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do.”
The Pentagon sent a memo describing the new measures to its in-house press corps late Friday afternoon as a part of new security requirements.
The memo indicated that Defense Department “information must be cleared for public release by an authorized official prior to its release, regardless of its unclassified status,” emphasizing the need to “protect” classified national security information.
The memo said the Department of War — the new secondary name for Department of Defense adopted as part of a rebranding— may provide controlled unclassified information to individuals “when there is a lawful governmental purpose for doing so.” Further, only “authorized persons” with “favorable determinations of eligibility for access, signed approved non-disclosure agreements, and have a need-to-know may be granted access to” classified national security information.
Those who fail to abide by the rule could be suspended or have their Pentagon access revoked.
Badge access may be denied or revoked if a person is “reasonably determined to pose a security or safety risk to DoW personnel or property,” the memo said. A person can be considered a security risk based on “unauthorized access, attempted unauthorized access, or unauthorized disclosure of CNSI [classified national security information] or CUI [controlled unclassified information].”
The new rules include further physical restrictions for reporters as well. Large areas of the building are restricted, and reporters will require an escort to enter.
It’s the latest effort by Hegseth to confine reporters at the Pentagon.
Earlier this year, the administration largely restricted reporters to the press and food court areas. For decades, Pentagon reporters with badges could walk the halls and had access to all but the parts of the building that were restricted or required security clearances.
Mike Balsamo, the president of the National Press Club, said Pentagon reporters provide critical information, informing the public on how defense dollars are spent and how wars are fought.
“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting,” Balsamo said. “It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.”
The Society of Professional Journalists also demanded the measure be rescinded, calling the effort an attempt “to muzzle the press and deny the American people the transparency and accountability they deserve.”
“This policy reeks of prior restraint — the most egregious violation of press freedom under the First Amendment — and is a dangerous step toward government censorship,” the Society said in a statement. “Attempts to silence the press under the guise of ‘security’ are part of a disturbing pattern of growing government hostility toward transparency and democratic norms.”
