This September, United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, a job previously classified as the Secretary of Defense, unveiled a series of new guidelines regarding journalists and media personnel within the Pentagon’s fortified walls. He gave ABC News, CNN, Fox News Media and other major media organizations a deadline of Oct. 14, 2025 to sign the new press agreement or be forced to turn in their access badges. Hegseth, in the wake of this decision, has faced immense backlash, and public outcry is clear from both Republicans and Democrats alike.
Among the many restrictive changes that were announced, a large point of contention for news outlets was a section of the 17-page document that stated there must be explicit approval from the Pentagon in order to report on any information that came from within its doors. Classified or unclassified, the rules are the same.
Soon after the memo was released, Hegseth and his department clarified that while they could not stop someone from reporting the news, they could potentially revoke access to the Pentagon from anyone who reports on information that was obtained without a clear sign of approval from officials within the Defense Department.
In a statement from Sean Parnell, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson, he explained that the new press requirements were “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’s comments on combating leaked information seem to be in reference to a scandal that the Pentagon was involved in earlier this year, where the Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic was unknowingly added to a group chat filled with important political figures–one of the most notable being Hegseth himself. During this chat, Hegseth messaged sensitive information regarding a bomb strike in Yemen hours before the strike took place, putting service members in danger and creating a nationwide controversy.
The Pentagon’s course of action to combat this issue is currently raising eyebrows, especially considering the original set of leaked information within the group chat came from none other than the Secretary of War himself, and not from any persons associated with the press. The Atlantic notified the public about the incident well over a week after the Editor-in-Chief had been added to the chat, placing the information leak solely on the shoulders of Hegseth and those he spoke to within the messaging group, though the White House has since stated that the information shared is considered unclassified.
In a post made to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Hegseth stated, “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.” What Hegseth fails to recognize in this post is that, in order for the American people to ‘run the Pentagon,” they must first be informed of what is going on within the facility, a job that has for decades been up to journalists and news organizations to fill. News organizations hold the U.S. military accountable, ensuring a level of transparency that will be lost once these new measures have been fully implemented.
A multitude of media and news organizations, the likes of which include Fox News Media, CNN, The Atlantic, Newsmax, ABC News, The New York Times, CBS News and many others, have announced that they will not be signing the Pentagon’s new press policy. These organizations have instead opted to relinquish their access to the building’s hallowed halls. Dozens of journalists turned in their badges on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, and walked out together.
One America News is also the subject of scrutiny from citizens online due to the organization currently being one of the few news outlets to agree to Hegseth’s new terms.
Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, this is and always will be a bipartisan issue at heart. Journalism has historically served as a core aspect of the American identity. From muckraking during the Progressive Era, to the work of newspaper writers more than a century before that, all the way to the present day, journalists have ensured pertinent information makes its way to the masses, thus keeping citizens informed.
Losing freedom of the press will deal a considerable blow to the future of democracy and is widely considered a gateway into scaling back on freedom of speech within America. If they take away freedom of the press, what is next?
