Pentagon imposes new restrictions on media covering US military affairs

Washington (Web Desk): The Pentagon has imposed new strict restrictions on journalists covering U.S. military affairs. According to directives issued by the Department of Defense, reporters will now be allowed to publish only those information officially authorized for release.

Journalists are required to sign an affidavit pledging full compliance with these rules; failure to do so may result in the revocation of their media credentials.

This move comes as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to increase control over media coverage. Previously, Trump had threatened to declare negative news as “illegal.”

The Pentagon’s directive states that approval from the relevant authorities is mandatory before releasing any information, even if it is unclassified, effectively curbing the publication of unverified material.

These restrictions apply to both classified and controlled unclassified information, and journalists’ movements within the Pentagon have also been limited.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the press represents the public, not the Pentagon, and urged reporters to adhere to the rules or risk losing access.

The new regulations come amid controversy surrounding Secretary Hegseth, who faced heavy criticism after unintentionally sharing details of U.S. airstrikes in Yemen via a private group chat that included a journalist.

The New York Times described these rules as a troubling step toward limiting public access to military activities funded by taxpayers.

Mike Balsamo, president of the National Press Club, strongly condemned the restrictions, stating that requiring government approval before publishing news violates the public’s right to information and is a matter of serious concern for all Americans.