US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order according to which media representatives will no longer be able to move through most of the Pentagon’s premises without special permission and escort. The decision has already entered into force and applies even to accredited journalists. About this informs Reuters.
As the head of the Pentagon explained, the new restrictions were introduced for security reasons — in particular, to protect classified intelligence information. In a statement, Hegseth emphasized that while the department declares openness, it also has an obligation to protect confidential data, the leak of which could endanger the lives of American military personnel. The minister called maintaining secrecy a “permanent duty” of the department.
The new rules have already caused criticism. The Association of Journalists, who cover the activities of the Pentagon, said that this move is a direct attack on freedom of speech. The association’s filing said journalists have had access to unclassified areas of the building for decades — for both Republicans and Democrats, even after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 — without previously raising concerns among military leaders. The journalists’ appeal to the Pentagon regarding this criticism remained unanswered.
According to Reuters, the current order is another step in the conflict between Minister Hegset and the press. He repeatedly accused the media of bias and spreading rumors. In particular, we are talking about publications based on leaks from closed chats of military officials in the Signal messenger, where confidential topics were discussed.
