Major US Media Outlets Reject Pentagon’s New Press Restrictions

The Pentagon is facing intense backlash from nearly every major US news organization after introducing a new press policy that critics say muzzles reporters and threatens constitutional press protections.

The Department of Defense, under Secretary Pete Hegseth, is demanding that journalists agree to a 21-page policy that bars them from reporting unapproved information, even if it’s unclassified. Reporters who don’t sign were told to hand in their credentials by 5 p.m. Tuesday and leave Pentagon grounds within 24 hours.

Instead, virtually every major outlet has said no.

The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Reuters, AP, NPR, The Guardian, Fox News, and even Newsmax have all rejected the policy. In a rare show of unity, the five biggest broadcast networks released a joint statement saying the policy is “without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections.”

“We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press,” the statement read.

The Associated Press said the policy “undermines the First Amendment and AP’s core values,” while Reuters called it a threat to “journalism that serves the public interest without fear or favour.”

Even right-leaning outlets like Newsmax and the Washington Times joined the resistance. “We believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon will review the matter further,” Newsmax said.

Only One America News Network (OANN) has confirmed it signed the document. OANN's president proudly announced their staff signed after legal review, while a host called the rules “reasonable.”

Hegseth, a former Fox News host who now leads the Department of Defense (rebranded under his watch as the “Department of War”), waved off the criticism on X with a simple emoji: 👋.

He also posted a mocking “press credentialing FOR DUMMIES” list that declared:

“Press no longer roams free”

and 

“Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts”

The Pentagon argues the rules are about protecting national security. “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right,” Hegseth posted. He accused the media of asking troops to “commit criminal acts” by leaking unapproved information and said journalists must stop “crying victim online.”

President Donald Trump backed Hegseth’s stance during a meeting with reporters, saying: “The press is very dishonest.” He added, “It sort of bothers me to have soldiers and... generals walking around with you guys on their sleeve... a mistake can be tragic.”

The Pentagon Press Association, which represents the defense press corps, warned the policy could expose journalists — and even Pentagon employees — to criminal accusations for doing their jobs.

“The policy conveys an unprecedented message of intimidation to everyone within the DoD, warning against any unapproved interactions with the press and even suggesting it’s criminal to speak without express permission – which plainly, it is not,” the group said. They said many reporters would rather lose their credentials than sign away their rights.

The latest policy comes after Hegseth booted several top outlets — including the New York Times and CNN — from their long-held Pentagon offices earlier this year. Those spaces were reassigned to outlets like Breitbart News, OANN, and the New York Post, under what officials called a “rotation program.” That followed a similar shuffle at the White House briefing room, where podcasters and non-traditional media were given new seats.

Meanwhile, Hegseth himself faced criticism after reportedly leaking details of a Yemen bombing to a group chat that included a journalist — the very kind of disclosure he now says must be prevented.

Media advocates, including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have warned that the policy represents a direct assault on freedom of the press.

The Atlantic, which was accidentally looped into a Pentagon group chat earlier this year, said it “fundamentally opposes” the rules. The New York Times added that the military’s nearly $1 trillion budget makes it critical that the public knows “how the government and military are operating.”

The backlash now puts pressure on the Pentagon to revise or scrap the policy, but so far, officials aren’t backing down. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the criticism, saying the media “moved the goal post” and are just upset because the Pentagon is standing its ground.

As reporters pack up their desks at the Pentagon, the real question now is how long the administration can hold the line against a united media revolt — and whether the public will get less access to the U.S. military because of it.