Dozens of reporters turned in their access badges and walked out of the Pentagon on Wednesday, disobeying government-imposed job restrictions, further pushing journalists covering the U.S. military further from power. The U.S. government called the new rules “common sense.”
News organizations almost unanimously rejected new rules imposed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that would allow journalists to be expelled if they attempt to report information, classified or not, that Hegseth has not authorized for publication.
Many of the reporters waited to leave the building en masse to meet the Pentagon’s 4 p.m. deadline to leave the building. As the hour drew near, boxes of documents lined the hallways of the Pentagon, and reporters carried chairs, photocopiers, books, old photos and other items from the suddenly abandoned workshop to the parking lot. Shortly after 4 o’clock, about 40 to 50 journalists handed over their badges and left en masse.
“It’s sad, but I’m very proud of the press corps we’ve come together with,” said Atlantic reporter Nancy Youssef, who has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007. She carried a map of the Middle East in her car.
It’s unclear what the new rules will have in practice, but news organizations have vowed to continue strong coverage of the military regardless of their vantage point.
Footage of reporters effectively demonstrating against job barriers is unlikely to sway President Trump’s supporters, many of whom are outraged by journalists and cheering on his efforts to make their jobs harder. Trump has been involved in legal battles with the New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press over the past year.
Trump supports new rules
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump supported the Secretary of Defense’s new rules. “I think he feels that the reporting is very destructive from a world peace standpoint,” Trump said. “The media is very dishonest.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel host, has systematically blocked the flow of information even before announcing his new reporting policy. He has held only two formal press conferences, barred reporters from entering many parts of the vast Pentagon without escort, and launched an investigation into media leaks.
He called the new rules “common sense” and said the requirement for journalists to sign a document outlining the rules means they approve of the new rules, not necessarily agree with them. Journalists see it as a distinction without a difference.
“What they’re really doing is they want to spoon-feed information to journalists. That’s their story. That’s not journalism,” Jack Keene, a former Army general and Fox News analyst, said on Hegseth’s former network.
When he took office, Keene said he required new brigadier generals to take classes on the role of the media in a democracy so they would not be intimidated and see reporters as conduits to the American people. “Sometimes stories were written that made me cringe a little,” he said. “But it’s usually because we ended up doing something worse than what we should have done.”
Youssef said it made no sense to sign a statement stating that reporters should not seek information from military personnel. “Agreing not to ask for information is the same as agreeing not to be a journalist,” she said. “Our purpose is to solicit information.”
Coverage of the US military situation continues from further afield
Several reporters posted on social media as they turned in their press badges.
“It’s a very small thing, but I was really proud to see my picture on the Pentagon correspondent’s wall,” wrote Heather Mongillo, a reporter for USNI News who covers the Navy. “I’ll turn in my badge today. The interview will continue.”
Mongillo, Youssef and others emphasized that they will continue to work no matter where their desks are. Some sources say they plan to continue dialogue with them, but some military officials are cowed by threats from Pentagon leadership.
In his essay, NPR reporter Tom Bowman said he was told many times what was going on by people he knew from his time in the Pentagon and military, even when it contradicted the official version released by the leadership. Many people understand the role of the media.
“They knew that the American people had a right to know what was going on,” Bowman wrote. “With no reporters available to ask questions, Pentagon leadership appears likely to continue to rely on clever social media posts, carefully orchestrated short videos, and interviews with partisan commentators and podcasters. No one should think that is enough.”
The Defense Press Association, which has 101 members representing 56 news organizations, voiced opposition to the rule. Media organizations ranging from traditional organizations like the Associated Press and the New York Times to conservative outlets like Fox and Newsmax told reporters to leave instead of signing the new rules.
Only the conservative One America News Network signed on. Gabriel Cuccia, a former Pentagon reporter who was fired from OANN earlier this year for writing an online column criticizing Mr. Hegseth’s media policies, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the company’s executives likely thought the endorsement would give them greater access to Trump administration officials.
Bauder writes for The Associated Press. Associated Press writer Laurie Kelman in London contributed to this report.
