WASHINGTON-(Mudassar Iqbal/Web Desk/Reuters) — More than 30 major news organizations have refused to sign the Pentagon’s new journalist-access policy, warning that the restrictions could limit coverage of the world’s most powerful military.
The updated rules require reporters to formally acknowledge that they understand the Pentagon’s media regulations — including provisions allowing officials to label journalists as “security risks” and revoke their press credentials if they seek classified or certain unclassified information.
Among those declining to sign are Reuters, the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, and Politico, along with numerous other outlets that issued public statements rejecting the policy.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the measure, saying it merely asks journalists to recognize the rules rather than agree with them. “Some reporters have overreacted and claimed victimhood online,” he said. “We stand by our policy — it protects our troops and the national security of the United States.”
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he New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Richard Stevenson said on Friday that the paper remained concerned about the Pentagon’s new media-access rules, arguing they restrict legitimate reporting on an institution financed by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer money each year.
“The public has a right to know how the U.S. government and military operate,” Stevenson said.
A Reuters spokesperson likewise criticized the regulations, stressing that the outlet’s work adheres to the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles of accuracy, impartiality, and independence.
“The Pentagon’s new restrictions undermine these essential values and the constitutional protections that guarantee a free press,” the statement read.
According to a lawyer involved in recent negotiations, the revised guidelines could still breach First Amendment protections by regulating journalists’ normal efforts to obtain information and documents. The lawyer cautioned that requiring reporters to acknowledge that sensitive disclosures might harm national security could strengthen prosecutors’ arguments under the Espionage Act if cases were brought against journalists.
While most major outlets rejected the policy, One America News (OAN) confirmed it had signed.
“After a full legal review, our network agreed to the revised policy,” said Charles Herring, president of Herring Networks, OAN’s parent company. Reuters was unable to confirm whether any other organizations had signed.
The new Pentagon policy—unveiled last month—marks a significant tightening of press controls under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host. President Trump has also directed the department to adopt the historic name “Department of War,” a change that would require congressional approval.
Traveling with Trump to Israel and Egypt, Hegseth responded to media criticism on platform X by posting a waving-hand emoji, signaling farewell to outlets refusing compliance.
The Pentagon Press Association, representing more than 100 news organizations including Reuters, urged leaders to reconsider, warning the policy “gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek non-approved information.”
Although the Defense Department softened parts of the original draft after strong backlash, the updated version still asserts that while publishing sensitive material is “generally protected by the First Amendment,” soliciting such disclosures “may indicate a potential security or safety risk.” It adds that “the press’s rights are not absolute and do not outweigh the government’s compelling interest in safeguarding classified or sensitive information.”
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