Many, if not the majority of reporters covering the Pentagon beat are due to turn in their press credentials today in protest over the Department of War’s (DOW) new processes and restrictions around “external engagements,” which is military-speak for media relations.
More to the point, Secretary Pete Hegseth sent out a memo last month that centered on new procedures for how the DOW would manage press relations. His guidance pointed out that past participation in interviews, press briefings, and news conferences “tended to canalize toward certain types of institutions.” In other words, mostly the same old legacy newsrooms were getting the lion’s share of access.
The memo detailed the DOW’s new terms of engagement with the media, and it gave newsrooms until 5 p.m. yesterday to accept or acknowledge the new rules. Non-compliance meant that Pentagon reporters had 24 hours to turn in their press credentials and clear out their office space in the building. That’s happening today.
🔔 Almost a dozen major news outlets from The Atlantic and CNN to Newsmax and The Washington Times are refusing to sign on to the new Pentagon press rules rolled out by
— Jessica Dalton (@jesseeca_dalton) October 14, 2025
Secretary of war Pete Hegseth. Reporters now have to sign the agreement by Tuesday or kiss their credentials… pic.twitter.com/zH4nB6LDRg
It’s worth noting that in his post on X, when Hegseth talks about “credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts,” what he’s saying is that when a reporter encourages a Pentagon source to violate the law by leaking certain confidential information, the actions of that reporter may not be consequence-free.
According to reports, the DOW started over the summer to examine all media relations activity and rethink its approach. The Pentagon wants to avoid tying its name and brand to newsrooms that are at odds with what it stands for under a Trump Administration. The Pentagon press corps has taken issue with this and sought to negotiate changes to the proposed restrictions before they took effect.
In recent weeks, CBS reports that the press corps’ “negotiations with the Defense Department over easing proposed restrictions on their reporting have reached an impasse, according to the Pentagon Press Association (PPA) — though the Pentagon says it has negotiated in good faith.”
Again, under the revised rules at the Pentagon, beat reporters must sign onto acknowledging or adhering to the new policies. Otherwise, they will lose their press credentials.
The new policies originally required Pentagon reporters to acknowledge that they will not disclose either classified or controlled unclassified information that is not formally authorized for publication. Since this stipulation was introduced, however, the Pentagon has backed off on it in its negotiations with the PPA. The rule was intended to put some of the onus on reporters who are privy to a good deal of confidential and unauthorized information in the course of their work.
Likely as a result of negotiations with the PPA, the Pentagon softened the measure so that now, reporters will not need DOW approval before publishing stories that contain information that was not officially approved for release. In the latest iteration of the revised policy, the DOW says, “Members of the news media are not required to submit their writings” before publication.
The new rules will restrict reporters’ physical access to people and locations within the Pentagon, reorganizing newsroom space in the building, and, in some situations, reporters will require an escort to move around certain parts of the building. This is standard procedure in most military installations, and, for that matter, just about any private company or organization in the country.
Some may argue that, as a part of the federal government, the Pentagon must be more transparent than the local widget factory. However, the Pentagon is the hub of America’s national security. There’s a good reason for not giving reporters the ability to freely roam the building.
Back in World War II, there was a saying, “Loose lips sink ships.” That is a very real and literal possibility, even today.
Most newsrooms with reporters assigned to the Pentagon have not agreed to sign on to the new policy, and so today, Pentagon reporters are relinquishing their press credentials.
The PPA issued its own strongly worded statement in light of the mass confiscation of press credentials.
Strong statement from the Pentagon Press Association, noting that most members on Wednesday will have their credentials confiscated by the Pentagon and won’t be given new ones because the reporters can’t and won’t “acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens… pic.twitter.com/TBlDboXuJE
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) October 13, 2025
Hegseth had some pretty straightforward comments of his own that indicate the Pentagon is not likely to cave to the complaints of reporters and newsrooms who have had open access to the Pentagon for many years.
War Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed strict new Pentagon security rules, emphasizing that access will be tightly controlled.
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 5, 2025
> “The Pentagon press corps can squeal all they want! We're taking these things seriously. We're not allowing everybody to roam around the building. No badge,… pic.twitter.com/3LY0xs9I0T
So, what's next?
As of today, there will be a lot of empty cubicles and press offices at the Pentagon. And a lot of bruised egos, not only among the reporters assigned to the Pentagon but also among the muckety mucks at some of the major news organizations. In some respects, they live for days like this. It’s a chance for them to use terms like "freedom of the press" even when they themselves routinely play by different rules elsewhere.
The New York Times may complain about its Pentagon reporter not having free access to certain locations, but its own football writers can’t just barge into the coaches’ offices at the New York Jets facilities without prior arrangements and an escort, either.
Exclusively for our VIPs: Universities and Professors Are Melting Down Over Trump’s ‘Loyalty Oath’
Some in the news media will melodramatically paint this as a new low for government-press relations. What they won’t admit is what’s really happening.
The Trump Administration will use this as an opportunity to shake things up. Gone are some of the entrenched Pentagon beat reporters from legacy news outlets who use every story that comes out of the Pentagon to bash the Administration and advance a leftist narrative. In will be new, younger, fresher reporters from a more diverse cross-section of media.
And yes, some of those legacy outlets will be forced to go back to the Pentagon with their tails between their legs to regain access. Some of their more experienced Pentagon reporters may return, some may not. This gives those news outlets a chance for a refresh, too. They now have an excuse to put a new reporter with a new perspective on the Pentagon beat, as Kamala Harris would say, “unburdened by what has been.”
I’ve been involved in the news media and media relations at many levels over the past few decades. Everything about the new Pentagon press relations policy is standard fare. It’s always amazed me that the Pentagon was so leaky when it comes to serious national security information.
I know, I know. It’s a two-way street in Washington. Oftentimes, when we see leaks from the Pentagon and other places, these are planted stories with the full knowledge of the Administration, which didn’t formally approve of the disclosure.
What appears to be happening here is an attempt at a cultural shift. The Pentagon’s leak culture may have gotten out of hand. The legacy media may have had far too much clout for far too long, and Hegseth wants to pull that back.
For you as a news consumer, here’s the benefit to you: National security information may now be better protected. This new policy very well could save lives. And looking ahead, the sources of your information coming out of the Pentagon may now be more diverse and not as beholden to the leftist narrative.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member