Two conservative newsrooms — Newsmax and the Washington Times — so far have joined a slew of national news organizations in refusing to sign an agreement with the Pentagon that could limit journalists' rights to gather or report information not officially authorized for release.
Why it matters: Press freedom groups decried the Pentagon's new media restrictions, arguing they appear "designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs," per the Pentagon Press Association.
Catch up quick: The Pentagon unveiled new restrictions last month and said reporters would need to sign a pledge committing to its rules to maintain their press credentials.
- It relaxed some of those measures last week, after several weeks of negotiating with news organizations and press groups.
- The new rules clarify that journalists are not required to "submit their writings" to the department before publication, but threatened to possibly revoke their press credentials if they don't sign the policy.
- Journalists have until 5pm Tuesday to decide whether to sign the pledge.
- "Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a post on X Monday. He responded to several outlets' posts saying they won't sign the new Pentagon policy with a simple goodbye emoji: 👋.
What they're saying: "The Pentagon certainly has the right to make its own policies, within the constraints of the law," the Pentagon Press Association said in a Monday statement.
- "There is no need or justification, however, for it to require reporters to affirm their understanding of vague, likely unconstitutional policies as a precondition to reporting from Pentagon facilities."
Zoom in: Over the past few days, editors from major outlets have released statements explaining why their reporters won't sign the pledge.
- The Washington Post: "The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information," executive editor Matt Murray said in a statement Monday. "We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of the Pentagon and officials across the government."
- The Atlantic: "We fundamentally oppose the restrictions that the Trump administration is imposing on journalists who are reporting on matters of defense and national security," editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement Monday. "The requirements violate our First Amendment rights, and the rights of Americans who seek to know how taxpayer-funded military resources and personnel are being deployed."
- The Guardian "will decline to sign the revised Pentagon press pass policy because it places unacceptable restrictions on activities protected by the First Amendment," a spokesperson told Axios Monday.
- The Wall Street Journal remains "concerned with the Pentagon's new press rules and requirements, and our reporters will not be signing them in their current form," a spokesperson told Axios Monday.
- NPR "will not sign the Administration's restrictive policy that asks reporters to undermine their commitment of providing trustworthy, independent journalism to the American public," editor-in-chief Thomas Evans said in a statement Monday.
- Reuters said it "steadfastly believe in the press protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution, the unrestricted flow of information and journalism that serves the public interest without fear or favor," a spokesperson told Axios Sunday. "The Pentagon's new restrictions erode these fundamental values."
- Newsmax "has no plans to sign the letter," a spokesperson told Axios Sunday. "We are working in conjunction with other media outlets to resolve the situation. We believe the requirements are unnecessary and onerous and hope that the Pentagon will review the matter further."
- New York Times journalists "will not sign the Pentagon's revised press policy, which threatens to punish them for ordinary news gathering protected by the First Amendment," Washington bureau chief Richard Stevenson said in a statement Friday. "Since the policy was first announced, we have expressed concerns that it constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually. The public has a right to know how the government and military are operating."
- ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media and NBC News said in a joint statement Tuesday, "Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon's new requirements, which would restrict journalists' ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues. The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press."
- Axios journalists will not sign the pledge, and AP and The Hill journalists will not sign the pledge, spokespeople from both outlets confirmed to Axios.
- Washington Times executive editor and president Christopher Dolan confirmed to the Washington Post that its reporters won't sign the pledge.
Zoom out: The White House Correspondents' Association and State Department Correspondents' Association issued a joint statement in support of the Pentagon Press Association:
Between the lines: It's not the first time conservative outlets have supported their broader media peers in a fight for press freedoms.
- Newsmax and Fox News signed a February letter to the White House, urging it to rescind a ban against AP reporters.
The big picture: These new press rules are part of a broader effort to put a tighter lid on the information that comes out of the Pentagon.
- Hegseth in a memo last month cemented restrictions on when, where and how the military and Pentagon leaders can engage with the public, noting that past "external engagements have tended to canalize toward certain types of institutions."
- The Defense Department in February replaced the press offices of several mainstream organizations with mostly conservative outlets.
- It informed several outlets — including NPR, NBC News, Politico and CNN — that they had to move out of their workspaces at the Correspondents' Corridor in the Pentagon, although their press credentials would remain intact.
- They were replaced by mostly conservative outlets such as Washington Examiner, Daily Caller, Newsmax and others under a new rotation system.
What to watch: So far only one outlet, the conservative cable network One America News (OAN), indicated that it planned to sign the pledge.
- "This Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been preapproved for release," the Pentagon Press Association said Monday.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
