In the US, journalists will be able to enter the Pentagon building only if they agree not to publish certain information. This gives the agency broad leeway to control material that appears in the media, reports Politico.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an e-mail that journalists will continue to have access to the Ministry of Defense only if they sign a memo refusing to publish classified information or parts of less sensitive documents that are not officially labeled “state secret”.
The new rules should come into effect within the next two to three weeks. According to Parnell, any information from the Ministry of Defense must be approved by an authorized official before it can be made public, even if it is not formally classified.
“Failure to follow these rules may result in the suspension or cancellation of your building pass and loss of access”, says the document, which must be signed by journalists.
Pentagon officials explained such a step as necessary, because any unauthorized disclosure of information “constitutes a security threat that could harm US national security and endanger Defense Department personnel.”
The introduction of the new rules follows a trend of increasingly limited access to the largest US federal agency under the presidency of Donald Trump. They also give the Pentagon the right to consider journalists a potential security threat and revoke their accreditation if they receive or publish information the agency deems inappropriate.
The new requirements come amid efforts by the Department of Defense to prosecute military and civilian officials accused of mocking the killing of Charlie Kirk on social media, and amid a broader debate over possible restrictions on free speech.
“The Pentagon is run not by the press, but by the people. The press is no longer allowed to freely roam the corridors of the secured facility. Wear your badge and follow the rules – or go home”, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents journalists covering the work of the Ministry of Defense, said its members are studying the new directive.
