Overview

• A Defense Department memorandum now requires official approval before any information about the U.S. military is published, including material that is not classified.
• Accredited Pentagon reporters must sign an affidavit committing to the rules, with violations risking revocation of accreditation and loss of access to military facilities.
• The guidance further restricts reporter movement inside secure areas and expands escort requirements, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasizing tighter on-site controls.
• Reuters, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the National Press Club criticized the policy as a direct threat to an independent press.
• Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the rules as protecting sensitive information, while Republican Rep. Don Bacon objected and President Trump said he does not believe the Pentagon should decide what the press covers.