More than 30 news organizations have declined to acknowledge a new Pentagon press access policy ahead of a Tuesday deadline, warning it could limit coverage of the U.S. military.
The policy requires journalists to acknowledge that they could be deemed security risks or have their Pentagon press badges revoked if they request classified or certain unclassified information. Reuters, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, NPR, Axios, Politico, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Hill, Newsmax, Breaking Defense, and Task & Purpose have all refused to sign. Conservative outlet One America News has agreed to the policy.
All five major broadcast networks released a joint statement denouncing the policy as unprecedented and threatening core journalistic protections, pledging to continue reporting on the military as they have for decades.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the rules only require acknowledgment, not agreement, adding that the policy protects troops and national security. President Trump commented that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth sees the press as “very disruptive” to national security, while Hegseth called the rules “common sense.”
The Pentagon set a Tuesday deadline for acknowledgment, warning that reporters who refuse must surrender press badges and vacate workspaces by Wednesday.
