Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth listens throughout an occasion with President Trump to signal govt orders concerning nuclear power within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Friday, Could 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C..
Evan Vucci/AP
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Evan Vucci/AP
The U.S. Protection Division is implementing new restrictions on journalists masking the Pentagon. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced the modifications in a memo Friday. The brand new insurance policies vastly restrict entry for credentialed media whereas contained in the Pentagon complicated in Arlington, Va.
The restrictions ban reporters and different media from many areas of the Pentagon until they’re accompanied by an permitted authorities escort. The restricted areas embrace the places of work of Hegseth, his prime aides, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees.
Members of the press masking the U.S. navy have traditionally had entry to those newly restricted areas by previous Republican and Democratic presidential administrations.
Hegseth, a former FOX Information host, mentioned within the memo that the Pentagon is adopting the brand new media insurance policies to guard nationwide safety:
“Whereas the Division stays dedicated to transparency, the Division is equally obligated to guard (labeled nationwide intelligence data) and delicate data — the unauthorized disclosure of which may put the lives of U.S. Service members at risk.”
The Pentagon Press Affiliation, a company unbiased from the U.S. authorities that represents journalists who cowl the navy, expressed deep concern in a press release shared by a number of information retailers.
“There isn’t a solution to sugarcoat it,” PPA’s board of administrators mentioned within the assertion. “At the moment’s memo by Secretary Hegseth seems to be a direct assault on the liberty of the press and America’s proper to know what its navy is doing.”
The Nationwide Press Membership is urging the Pentagon to swiftly reverse course. The group’s President Mike Balsamo mentioned in a press release Friday“Proscribing entry would not defend nationwide safety. It undermines public belief.”
“The restrictions are the newest step by the White Home to restrict entry for journalists and to tightly management the information reporting of journalists masking the Trump administration. In January, the Protection Division vacated a number of main information retailers from their devoted workspaces on the Pentagon, together with NPR. The next month, the White Home revoked the White Home Correspondents’ Affiliation’s means to resolve how media retailers share protection of President Trump at main occasions the place house is restricted.
Hegseth has confronted criticism after twice sharing delicate navy plans on his non-public cellphone by the Sign messaging app. Then-Nationwide Safety Advisor Michael Waltz mistakenly included a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Journalin one of many textual content chains.
Hegseth’s memo on the brand new restrictions says journalists shall be required to finish a type “explaining their obligations” and obtain a brand new credential and badge with “clearer” press identifiers within the coming weeks. The discover says credentials shall be issued below “enhanced scrutiny.”
Hegseth ended the memo by saying he expects that further safety measures shall be forthcoming.
