Major U.S. news outlets reject Pentagon’s new media rules

Dozens of major U.S. news organizations, including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have refused to sign the Pentagon’s new press access policy, saying it threatens core protections for a free press.

In a joint statement released Tuesday, the outlets said the new requirements “would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues.”

The statement, signed by nearly every major news network, described the policy as “without precedent and [one that] threatens core journalistic protections.”

The Washington Post reported that the new Pentagon policy prohibits journalists from seeking or obtaining information not explicitly made available by the Defense Department.

Those who decline to sign the agreement would have their Pentagon press credentials revoked, effectively barring them from accessing the building.

According to The New York Times, the Defense Department recently revised the proposal after widespread backlash. The updated version no longer requires reporters to seek approval before publishing stories containing unofficial information but still allows the Pentagon to deem journalists “security risks” and revoke their credentials.

Media organizations have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to decide whether to sign.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the new rules in a post Monday, writing: “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right. Press no longer roams free. Press must wear visible badge. Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts. Done. Pentagon now has same rules as every U.S. military installation.”

According to The Washington Post, only One America News has agreed to sign the new policy. All other major outlets have declined.

In their joint statement, the organizations said they will “continue to cover the U.S. military… upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”