Two journalists with longstanding Pentagon access have become the first known reporters to publicly reject the Department of War’s new media pledge, telling me they will not sign it, a significant escalation in response to a policy that, until now, had been widely criticized but not openly defied.
An editor at a D.C.-based trade publication, speaking on condition of anonymity, said their outlet’s leadership met with attorneys and decided not to sign the form. “This access is not worth signing this for,” the editor said. “This would mean not breaking actual news, only press releases and official statements.”
Jennifer Judson, senior land warfare reporter for Defense News and former president of the National Press Club, also said she does not intend to sign the pledge. “I am not going to sign the in-brief. I’d be signing away my First Amendment rights under the Constitution,” she told me in an email.
The form, officially titled the “Pentagon Reservation In-brief for Media Members,” was distributed to credentialed reporters on Sept. 19. An agency email said multiple journalists were required to sign by Sept. 30 or request a five-day extension to consult with legal counsel. Others were given later deadlines. Pentagon Press Operations said extensions are also available for reporters who need more time because of travel or other conflicts. Those who decline to sign will have their Pentagon Facility Alternate Credential (PFAC) revoked or denied.
After the policy was announced, I contacted more than 40 news outlets and reporters with Pentagon credentials, including mainstream media companies and trade publications. These are the first on-the-record refusals, as most news organizations have expressed concern but have not confirmed whether their journalists would comply.
Policy Requires Government Pre-Approval for Reporting
The policy, issued by the Department of War, the renamed Department of Defense, requires that “DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” The document also warns that any unauthorized disclosure of classified or controlled unclassified information could result in credential revocation.
According to the memo, a PFAC may be denied or revoked if a journalist is “reasonably determined to pose a security or safety risk,” a designation that may be based on “unauthorized access, attempted unauthorized access, or unauthorized disclosure of CNSI (Classified National Security Information) or CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information).”
Journalists who sign the form will receive a new PFAC badge marked “PRESS” in red letters and must also wear an “Additional Press Identifier Badge” (APIB). The updated rules restrict unescorted media access to the Pentagon’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors, as well as the basement and mezzanine levels, and limit movement even on the 1st and 2nd floors.
News Industry Pushes Back, But Stops Short of Refusal
Major news organizations have issued strong statements criticizing the Pentagon’s media pledge, though none have publicly confirmed whether their reporters will comply with it.
NPR Editor-in-Chief Thomas Evans said the outlet is “taking this very seriously” and is working with other news organizations “to push back.”
A spokesperson for The New York Times called the policy “at stark odds with the constitutional protections of a free press in a democracy.”
The Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray warned the Pentagon’s approach “is counter to the First Amendment and against the public interest,” adding, “The Constitution protects the right to report on the activities of democratically elected and appointed government officials.”
A spokesperson for Reuters said the organization is “deeply concerned” and that “any effort by the U.S. government to limit journalists’ ability to cover the news undermines fundamental First Amendment protections.” When asked directly, the outlet did not confirm whether its reporters would sign the pledge.
The Pentagon Press Association acknowledged receipt of the new directive and stated that it is under review.
Access Tightens as Briefings Dwindle
The pledge is the latest step in a broader effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to limit press access at the Pentagon.
Since the start of 2025, Hegseth and his press officials have held fewer than ten on-the-record briefings, according to The Hill, a sharp contrast to previous administrations. CBS News reports that in the first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s term, the Pentagon held 34 on-camera briefings, compared to five during the same period of President Donald Trump’s first term.
One formal Pentagon briefing took place on March 17, led by Press Secretary Sean Parnell. Secretary Hegseth has led two additional on-camera press briefings in the Pentagon Briefing Room on June 22 and June 26, 2025.
Alongside those limited live briefings, Parnell posts pre-recorded “Weekly SITREP” video updates on official Pentagon and DVIDS channels (often cross-posted to social platforms such as X). These one-way videos do not permit live reporter questions.
Earlier in the year, Hegseth’s office expelled multiple long-standing media outlets from Pentagon workspaces and imposed new escort-only rules, sharply curtailing journalists’ ability to move about the building unescorted or use the press briefing room outside scheduled events.
Pentagon Defends Policy as a Security Measure
Officials have defended the new rules as necessary safeguards.
“These are basic, common-sense guidelines to protect sensitive information as well as the protection of national security and the safety of all who work at the Pentagon,” Parnell said.
Hegseth posted a similar message on social media: “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do… The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”
The Pentagon memo states the department is “committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” but affirms that even unclassified information must be cleared by an authorized official before release.
Advocacy Groups and Lawmakers Condemn Pentagon Media Pledge
Press freedom groups have denounced the pledge as a form of prior restraint — widely considered the most serious violation of the First Amendment.
National Press Club President Mike Balsamo called the policy “a direct assault on independent journalism at the very place where independent scrutiny matters most: the U.S. military.”
“Agreeing not to look where the government doesn’t want you to look and, by extension, not to print what it doesn’t want you to print, is propaganda, not journalism,” said Seth Stern, advocacy director for the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
The Society of Professional Journalists said the Pentagon’s policy “reeks of prior restraint” and warned it represents “a dangerous step toward government censorship.”
Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) also condemned the policy, calling it “an unprecedented move” and “a gross violation of the First Amendment” that threatens independent journalism. “Such restrictions threaten the ability of the press to hold powerful institutions accountable and to inform the public without censorship,” said IRE Board President Josh Hinkle.
Members of Congress from both parties have also expressed concern. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said, “We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better.”
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the measure “an ill-advised affront to free speech and freedom of the press,” and warned it could eliminate a vital check on government misconduct.
When asked directly about the policy, President Trump appeared to diverge from his defense secretary, telling reporters, “No, I don’t think so,” when asked if the Pentagon should decide what journalists can report.
Last Updated on October 14, 2025 by Joe Douglass
