The Pentagon on Friday issued new rules requiring reporters covering the Defense Department to pledge not to publish information without administration approval or risk losing building access. The 17-page memo, circulated to news outlets, said even unclassified information must be cleared by an authorized official before release.
The department, now referred to internally as the “Department of War” under President Donald Trump—though Congress has not approved the title change—argued that unauthorized disclosures endanger national security and personnel. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the restrictions bring the Pentagon in line with other U.S. military bases, where reporters’ movements are already limited.
The policy also expands escort requirements, barring journalists from entering most Pentagon areas without DoW personnel. Reporters from outlets including The New York Times, NPR, Politico, and NBC News lost workspace earlier this year, which was reassigned to The New York Post, Breitbart News, HuffPost, and One America News Network.
Press groups condemned the move. National Press Club President Mike Balsamo called it a “direct assault on independent journalism,” arguing that the pledge undermines democratic accountability.
Hegseth defended the changes on X, writing, “The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”
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