Pentagon press corps walks out after rejecting new reporting rules
Washington, D.C.—In an extraordinary and historic act of protest, nearly all members of the Pentagon Press Corps turned in their badges and walked out of the Pentagon earlier today, following a standoff over controversial new reporting restrictions imposed by the Department of Defense.
Under new guidelines issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reporters covering the Pentagon were required to sign an acknowledgment of rules limiting their ability to contact military personnel and restricting coverage of certain internal matters. The policy also requires prior approval for reporting on a range of security-related topics — measures media organizations have denounced as unconstitutional and incompatible with press freedom.
As the 4 p.m. deadline approached, journalists from major national and international outlets — including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, and The Associated Press — packed up their belongings and left the Pentagon press offices together.
Observers described the mass departure as somber but resolute, marking the first time in modern history that the Pentagon has been left without a working press corps.
Only a small number of reporters, reportedly from One America News Network (OANN) and a few other sympathetic outlets, agreed to the new terms and retained their credentials.
“This is not something we wanted to do,” said a veteran Pentagon reporter who declined to be named. “But we cannot accept rules that compromise our ability to report freely on the U.S. military.”
Pentagon Defends Policy
In a statement released late Wednesday, Secretary Hegseth defended the policy, describing it as “a common-sense approach to ensure accuracy and safeguard national security.” Pentagon spokespersons have denied that the rules are intended to suppress the press, saying they are designed to “protect sensitive information” and “prevent misinformation.”
However, several current and former Defense Department officials have privately expressed concern about the policy and the influence of Tim Parlatore, a lawyer and close adviser to Hegseth who helped draft the new media regulations.
Widespread Backlash
Press freedom advocates, media law experts, and civil liberties groups have sharply criticized the Pentagon’s actions. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press called the policy “a dangerous and unconstitutional assault on the public’s right to know.”
Legal experts note that while the Pentagon can regulate access to its facilities, conditioning that access on the surrender of fundamental journalistic freedoms could violate First Amendment protections.
Coverage Continues — From Outside
Despite losing physical access, major news outlets have pledged to continue covering defense and military issues using alternative means, including remote briefings, open-source intelligence, and communication with outside sources.
“The American public deserves transparency from the world’s most powerful military,” said a joint statement from several leading news organizations. “We will continue to report — with or without Pentagon access.”