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The Pentagon’s deadline for journalists to agree to its new press access agreement passed on Tuesday, prompting reporters from nearly all major news outlets to relinquish their badges and vacate their offices, as they opted not to comply with the Department of War’s updated credentialing policy.
Journalists were observed departing the Pentagon on Wednesday as the Department of War implemented its revised press guidelines, requiring them to sign a document acknowledging rules concerning access and information collection. The department had imposed a Tuesday cutoff for signing or surrendering credentials, with those declining to sign obligated to clear out their workspaces the next morning.
“Today, the Defense Department confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America. It did this because reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution,” the Pentagon Press Association wrote.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell justified the policy in a statement on Monday: “The policy only requires acknowledgment of understanding, not agreement. This has led to reporters expressing outrage, claiming victimhood online. We maintain our stance as it serves the best interests of our military personnel and the nation’s security.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said, “You would think that the Pentagon press corps, of all press corps, would be front and center across the board on wanting to give credit to the President for forging this kind of peace, and instead, what they want to talk about is a policy about them.”
“Perhaps the policy should resemble those at the White House or other military sites where press must wear identification or have restricted access,” he elaborated. “Previously, journalists had near-unrestricted access within the Pentagon, despite it being one of the most sensitive locations globally.”
“By signing the credentialing agreement, they’re less likely to solicit soldiers for classified information,” he added. “This is straightforward. Our goal is to ensure national security is upheld, and we stand firmly behind the policy.”
White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung posted on X that “a few reporters on this wall have privately said they were bullied into participating in the walkout when they actually wanted to stay. They were physically confronted and threatened with retaliation if they didn’t join the protest.”
The move follows news organizations, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, Reuters, the Atlantic, CNN, and NPR, all of which announced earlier this week that they would not sign the revised access form. Many cited concerns that the rules could chill reporting or blur the line between national security and public accountability.
The policy, finalized in September, requires credentialed journalists to sign an “in-brief” form acknowledging information security procedures, escort requirements, and limits on movement within the Pentagon. The Department of War maintains that the rules do not restrict reporting activities or require preapproval of coverage, but journalists argue that the language could expose them to potential retaliation or prosecution for pursuing unauthorized information.
