Major Media Outlets Reject Pentagon's New Press Policy

Several major news organizations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Newsmax, have announced they will not sign the Pentagon's new press policy, which requires journalists to obtain approval before releasing information, even if unclassified.

The policy stipulates that information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified. Journalists who do not comply risk losing their credentials to access the Pentagon.

Richard Stevenson, Washington bureau chief for The New York Times, stated that the policy threatens to punish journalists "for ordinary news gathering protected by the First Amendment."

The Pentagon Press Association expressed concerns that the policy conveys "an unprecedented message of intimidation to everyone within the DoD, warning against unapproved interactions with the press and even suggesting it's criminal to speak without express permission — which plainly, it's not."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the refusals by posting a hand-waving emoji on social media, indicating a dismissal of the media outlets' decisions.

The deadline for signing the policy is Tuesday, and media organizations that do not comply are expected to lose their Pentagon press credentials.