The Pentagon has introduced strict new rules governing how journalists cover the U.S. military, requiring reporters to sign affidavits pledging not to publish any information that has not been formally authorized.
The guidelines also sharply limit press movement inside the Department of Defense headquarters.
According to a memo distributed Friday, reporters risk losing their credentials if they fail to comply. The rules apply not only to classified material but also to “controlled unclassified information,” effectively barring the use of unnamed sources.
The memo states the Pentagon “remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” but insists that all information must first be cleared by an “appropriate authorizing official.”
The new policy also prevents journalists from freely roaming the Pentagon’s halls, requiring official escorts at all times.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the move on X, writing:
“The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do. Wear a badge and follow the rules – or go home.”
The restrictions have sparked criticism from press freedom advocates. A spokesperson for The New York Times described the rules as “yet another step in a concerning pattern of reducing access to what the U.S. military is undertaking at taxpayer expense.”
National Press Club President Mike Balsamo warned the policy undermines independent reporting:
“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.”
The move comes months after Hegseth faced criticism for inadvertently revealing details of U.S. airstrikes in Yemen in a private Signal chat that included a reporter.
The National Press Club and other organizations are now calling on the Pentagon to rescind the new rules, arguing they represent a significant rollback of press freedoms.
