Dozens of journalists walk out of Pentagon over new media rules

Journalists covering the U.S. Department of War walked out of the Pentagon on Wednesday after their credentials were confiscated amid an ongoing dispute over new media access rules.

In a statement, the Pentagon Press Association said badges were seized from reporters representing “virtually every major media organization in America” after they refused to sign the War Department’s new press policy.

“It did this because reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting,” the association said. “Make no mistake, today is a dark day for press freedom.”

Washington Post Pentagon correspondent Tara Copp shared footage showing dozens of journalists leaving the building with their belongings.

“Today the Pentagon Press Corps handed over our badges and walked out in unison in defense of the First Amendment,” Copp wrote. “It’s an unprecedented attack on the public’s right to know and the end of one of the most professional press relationships in D.C.”

The walkout follows days of dispute between the Defense Department and major U.S. media outlets, nearly all of which refused to sign the new policy by Tuesday’s deadline.

The policy bars reporters from seeking or publishing information not explicitly released by the Pentagon and allows the department to label journalists “security risks” and revoke access.

Only One America News has agreed to sign, according to The Washington Post. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the new rules earlier this week, writing, “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right.”

The Pentagon has not yet commented on Wednesday’s mass walkout.