Dozens of journalists surrendered their passes and left the Pentagon building, refusing to sign new rules restricting their activities. This is reported by Associated Press.
The new policy was introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It allows reporters to be removed from work if they publish materials without his approval. Journalists perceived these requirements as a threat to free speech. About 40-50 correspondents simultaneously left the Pentagon at 4 p.m., surrendering their passes and taking personal belongings from their workplaces.
President Donald Trump supported the innovation, calling the press “very dishonest” and “destructive”. Hegseth himself explained that these rules are “common sense”, and their signing only confirms the fact of their existence. Despite the restrictions, the editorial staff stated their intention to continue covering the activities of the US Armed Forces, although now they are forced to do so from a greater distance.
The only media outlet that agreed to sign the agreement was the conservative One America News Network. As noted by former Pentagon reporter Gabrielle Cuccia, whom OANN fired earlier this year for a column criticizing Hegseth’s policies, the channel’s management probably hopes to gain better access to Trump administration officials. At least 20 media organizations have refused to accept the new terms. According to the rules, accreditation should have been confirmed by October 14.
As a reminder, on September 19, 2025, the Pentagon sent a document to editorial offices that obliged journalists not to collect and distribute information without official permission, even if this data is not classified (since most of the ministry’s information has a certain level of confidentiality).
On October 6, the restrictions were somewhat relaxed: journalists no longer need to obtain approval before publishing materials that have not been officially made public. At the same time, the Pentagon reserved the right to determine whether a journalist poses a “security threat”, which could be grounds for revoking accreditation. In the end, at least 20 news organizations never agreed to the new rules for access to the Pentagon.
