Additional Coverage:
Pentagon Press Corps Stages Mass Walkout Over New Restrictions
Washington D.C. – A significant number of journalists covering the U.S. military made a collective exit from the Pentagon on Wednesday, surrendering their access badges rather than accepting new government-mandated restrictions on their reporting. This move pushes the press corps further from the heart of American military operations.
The U.S. government has described the new regulations as “common sense,” but news organizations have largely rejected them. The rules, imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would make journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they reported on any information – classified or unclassified – that had not been officially approved for release by the Secretary.
Many reporters chose to leave simultaneously at the 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department for vacating the building. As the hour approached, Pentagon corridors were lined with boxes of documents, and journalists were seen carrying office chairs, a copying machine, books, and personal photos from their now-empty workspaces to the parking lot. Shortly after 4 p.m., an estimated 40 to 50 journalists departed together after turning in their badges.