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DoD bans reporters from having "unauthorized" info, even if it's not classified or reported on-upd [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-09-20

The Dept. of Defense — I refuse to call it the “Department of War” — has found a new way to hide what they’re doing from the American public. They’re now requiring journalists to sign a “pledge” to self-restrict building access and information-gathering in order to suppress reporting of anything DoD doesn’t explicitly authorize for public release (“Pentagon demands journalists pledge to not obtain unauthorized material,” WaPo, Sept. 19, paywall-free):

The Trump administration unveiled a new crackdown Friday on journalists at the Pentagon, saying it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. Under the policy, the Pentagon may revoke press passes for anyone it deems a security threat. Possessing confidential or unauthorized information, under the new rules, would be grounds for a journalist’s press pass to be revoked. […] The 17-page document says media that wish to report from the Pentagon have to sign agreements restricting their movement in the building and stipulating that they not obtain or possess unauthorized material.

You can read the full memo here.

Understand that reporters aren’t merely supposed to refrain from reporting on unauthorized information, they’re not supposed to have any such info. That could mean that a reporter who gets an unauthorized interview, or even overhears a conversation between coworkers in a food court or restroom, could theoretically have his/her press pass revoked, even if s/he doesn’t report the information. And they know exactly how this move will be perceived, as a way to evade accountability (“Pentagon Expands Its Restrictions on Reporter Access,” NYT, select option 2):

The Department of Defense said in the 17-page memo that it “remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust.” But it added that “information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” In addition, the document constrains the movements of the media within the Pentagon itself, designating large areas of the building off limits without escorts for the roughly 90 reporters credentialed to cover the agency. Although many offices and meeting rooms in the Pentagon are restricted, the Pentagon press corps had previously been given unescorted access throughout much of the building and its hallways. […] It is not clear whether the prohibition would include soliciting information from Defense Department staff or seeking confirmation or comment on materials gathered through other means.

They’ve been clamping down on mainstream journalists’ access for a while, giving access to trump-friendly outlets (“Pentagon to limit journalists’ access unless they agree not to publish certain information,” Politico):

The move follows a pattern of increasingly restricted access to the country’s largest federal agency under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has a tense relationship with much of the press. The new rules give the Pentagon wide latitude to label journalists as security threats and revoke passes for those who obtain or publish information the agency says is unfit for public release. […] Reporters have traditionally had access to unclassified spaces in the Pentagon to cover the military’s interactions with the world. This includes the offices of the Defense secretary, joint staff and six armed services. But the Defense Department in January took away workspaces from several media organizations — including POLITICO, the Washington Post and the New York Times — and brought in mostly conservative outlets. When news organizations protested the move, the Pentagon took away the desks of more organizations, including NBC News and CNN.

The building access policy, which conflates security risks with “unprofessional conduct,” will take effect next week (“Hegseth unveils new restrictions on Pentagon press access,” ABC):

The sweeping new rules to access the building prohibit "unprofessional conduct that might serve to disrupt Pentagon operations," as well as "attempts to improperly obtain" classified or unclassified information deemed "controlled," according to a memo released to reporters. […] Built in the 1940s in Arlington, Virginia, the Pentagon is now one of the largest office buildings in the world with tens of thousands of uniformed and civilian personnel who work there. Visitor groups are frequently given tours. Reporters have long been given access badges they must wear at all times, as well as designated work spaces, which enables real-time reporting on military operations, including during wartime. The new rules take effect next week, impacting reporters in waves depending upon when their current badges expire. If reporters reject the rules, it appears to be the first time in history that major national news outlets would lose their 24-7 access to unclassified spaces in the Pentagon.

I thought “freedom of the press” meant freedom to inform the public about what their government is doing. How naive of me.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/9/20/2344586/-Pentagon-bans-reporters-from-having-unauthorized-info-even-if-it-s-not-classified-or-reported-on?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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