Major News Outlets Refuse To Sign Pentagon's New Media Policy

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Hosts Canada's Defense Minister David McGuinty At The Pentagon

Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images News / Getty Images

Five major broadcast news networks, including NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and Fox News, announced on Tuesday (October 14) that they will not sign the Pentagon's new press policy. This decision aligns them with other media organizations that have criticized the policy for being overly restrictive. The new rules, according to NBC News, would limit journalists' ability to report on national security issues by potentially revoking press passes if reporters publish unauthorized information, even if it is unclassified.

The Defense Department set a deadline of 5 p.m. ET Tuesday for media outlets to sign the policy. Those who refuse must return their Pentagon press credentials within 24 hours. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that "Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right." Hegseth, who previously worked for Fox News, shared his thoughts on social media, responding to criticism from major outlets like The Atlantic and The New York Times with a "waving hand" emoji.

The Associated Press, The Guardian, Reuters, The New York Times, and The Washington Post are among the many media organizations that have also rejected the policy.

The new policy has also drawn criticism from press advocacy groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the National Press Club. The rejection of the policy by major news outlets underscores ongoing tensions between the media and the government over press freedoms and access to information.

Despite the widespread opposition, One America News Network (OANN) has signed the policy, as confirmed by its president, Charles Herring.


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