Top news outlets reject Pentagon’s new press rules, face potential eviction

Several major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Associated Press, Newsmax, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Reuters, announced Monday that they would not sign a Defense Department document outlining new press rules, potentially resulting in their reporters being evicted from the Pentagon. These outlets argue the policy infringes on First Amendment rights and threatens routine news gathering.

The new rules restrict journalists’ access to parts of the Pentagon without an escort and give Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the authority to revoke press access for reporters who request information not approved by him for release. Reuters and others have criticized the policy, saying it undermines press freedoms and journalistic independence.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the rules as “common sense” and necessary for national security, while Hegseth downplayed the backlash, asserting that the restrictions were for the best interest of the military. Journalists, however, argue that the policy forces them to accept the idea that unapproved reporting is a threat to national security, which they reject.