Ex-journalist Pete Hegseth mocks press as US media revolts against Pentagon’s gag order: ‘Press no longer roams free’

Several major US news organisations have refused to sign a new Pentagon policy that limits journalists’ access to defense facilities and requires them to pledge not to obtain “unauthorised” information - aka not pursue investigative journalism. The Defense Department, led by Secretary Pete Hegseth, has given reporters until Tuesday (Oct 14) 5pm to sign the pledge or turn in their press credentials within 24 hours. The policy also bars journalists from entering certain areas without official escorts.

US media refuses to bow down

The Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, the Atlantic, the Guardian, and Breaking Defense said Monday they would not comply. The outlets called the move unconstitutional and an attack on press freedom.

Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray, in a statement, said the policy “undercuts First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information. We will continue to vigorously and fairly report on the policies and positions of the Pentagon and officials across the government.”

The Atlantic said it “fundamentally” opposes the restrictions. The New York Times added that the public “has a right to know how the government and military are operating,” noting that the US military is "funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually".

Pete Hegseth mocks press

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, responded on X with a hand waving goodbye emoji and a post mocking critics with a list of what he called “Press Credentialing FOR DUMMIES,” and saying that "Press no longer roams free; Press must wear visible badge; Credentialed press no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts".

He later reposted a cartoon showing the Atlantic as a crying baby.

Even some right-leaning outlets balked at the prospect of signing the letter. Newsmax told the Times it “has no plans to sign the letter,” calling the rules “unnecessary and onerous.”
But One America News, a staunchly pro-Trump network, accepted the terms. Host and former congressman Matt Gaetz said the outlet was “happy to follow these reasonable conditions.”

Just journalists having a meltdown?

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the backlash was exaggerated, claiming the policy only requires journalists to acknowledge its terms, not agree to them. He accused reporters of having a “full-blown meltdown” and insisted the rules are “what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.”

The Pentagon Press Association, which represents defense reporters, slamming the policy said it appears to be “designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs”.
It sends an unprecedented message of intimidation,” the group said, “unprecedented message of intimidation to everyone within the DoD, warning against any unapproved interactions with the press and even suggesting it’s criminal to speak without express permission – which plainly, it is not”.