In a major pushback against the U.S. Department of Defense, over two dozen leading American and international media outlets — including The New York Times, CNN, Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Fox News, ABC, CBS, and NBC — have rejected a new Pentagon media access policy, calling it a direct threat to press freedom and transparency.
The controversial policy, unveiled this week, demands that journalists only publish information pre-approved for release by the Pentagon. The Pentagon Press Association (PPA) described it as a “gag order” that punishes defense officials who speak with the press and intimidates journalists pursuing independent reporting.
AFP said in a statement that it “cannot sign up to the terms of the Pentagon document that would require media to acknowledge insufficiently clear new policies that appear to fly in the face of U.S. constitutional principles and the basic tenets of journalism.”
“We shall continue to cover the Pentagon and the U.S. military freely and fairly, as we have done for decades,” the agency added.
Major television networks — including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC — also issued a joint declaration rejecting the rules, arguing that the policy “restricts journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed on crucial national security issues.”
According to reports, about 100 media credentials could be revoked following the outlets’ refusal to comply, potentially cutting off access to official briefings and on-site reporting at the Department of Defense.
In recent months, the Pentagon has tightened press access, evicting several long-established media houses — such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and NPR — from their offices inside the building. Officials claimed the move was to accommodate “new organisations,” many with conservative leanings.
Journalists are now required to be escorted through restricted areas, while press briefings have become far less frequent compared to the regular sessions held during the Biden administration.
Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth — a former Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran — is facing investigation after allegedly disclosing classified details about U.S. military strikes in Yemen, a development that has deepened criticism of the Defence Department’s approach to information control.
