New York Times, AP, Newsmax among news outlets who say they won’t sign new Pentagon rules

Several major media outlets—including The New York Times, The Associated Press, and the conservative network Newsmax—have announced they will refuse to sign a new Pentagon document that enforces stricter press rules. Because of this, these organizations risk having their reporters evicted from Pentagon headquarters. 

These media outlets argue that the new policy penalizes standard journalistic practices protected by the First Amendment. Among those joining the refusal are The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Reuters. 

In a statement, Reuters emphasized its commitment to independent, impartial reporting, and warned that the Pentagon’s new restrictions threaten core journalistic principles. 

In response, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the New York Times’ refusal publicly and added a dismissive emoji. He and his staff have said that reporters who do not formally acknowledge the new rules by the deadline must surrender their Pentagon entry badges and vacate their workspaces. 

The rules limit reporters’ access across large sections of the Pentagon unless accompanied by an escort. They also permit the Defense Secretary to revoke press access if reporters seek information—whether classified or not—that hasn’t been pre-approved for release.

Even Newsmax, generally aligned with Trump’s administration, rejected the policy. It described the requirements as “unnecessary and onerous” and urged further review. 

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the rules as “common sense media procedures,” maintaining that reporters are only being asked to acknowledge—not agree with—the policy. He also accused critics of overreacting. 

Hegseth further reposted a question from a follower asking whether the changes were because journalists expected unfettered access to a heavily secured facility. In his reply, he said “yes”—a claim journalists dispute. 

Reporters argue that signing the document amounts to admitting that any news not explicitly approved by the government endangers national security—a premise they strongly reject. 

While the Pentagon has the authority to set internal rules, critics contend it has no justification to demand journalists affirm vague, potentially unconstitutional policies as a condition for covering the Pentagon. 

Given that the U.S. military receives nearly a trillion dollars in annual funding, The New York Times’ Washington bureau chief argued that the public deserves accountability about how the government operates. 

This latest confrontation underscores a continuing pattern: the Trump administration has long pressured media outlets—through lawsuits, defunding federal broadcasters, and public criticism—as part of its broader adversarial stance toward the press.

Source: AP News