The Department of Defense confirmed Thursday that it implemented a new press credentialing policy requiring journalists to sign a “national interest compliance agreement” to retain access to Pentagon facilities and briefings.
According to Al Jazeera, the new agreement gives the Defense Department broad discretion to revoke press credentials for coverage deemed “harmful to operational security or public confidence.” Critics say the measure represents one of the most restrictive press policies in decades.
Major outlets including Reuters, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, and NBC News announced Wednesday that they would forfeit their credentials rather than agree to the terms.
“We cannot, in good conscience, sign an agreement that gives the government power to define what constitutes ‘harmful coverage,’” an AP spokesperson said.
Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh defended the new guidelines, describing them as “a modernization of existing policies to ensure responsible reporting.” She added that the measures were intended to “protect sensitive national security operations while maintaining transparency.”
Press freedom advocates, however, argue that the policy could chill investigative reporting and limit public accountability. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement urging the Defense Department to “immediately rescind this policy and restore full access to credentialed reporters.”
The exodus marks the largest collective walkout from the Pentagon press corps since the Vietnam War era, underscoring growing tensions between the Trump administration and the national media.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on whether the administration influenced the Defense Department’s decision, saying only that “the president supports fair reporting that does not endanger American lives.”
The Pentagon has not announced whether it will seek to replace the departing outlets or reopen negotiations. As of Thursday, the Pentagon briefing room was mostly empty, and several scheduled press conferences were postponed indefinitely.
“This is a historic step backward for government transparency,” said Kathleen McClellan, deputy director of the nonprofit ExposeFacts. “If the press cannot freely report from the Pentagon, the American public loses one of its most vital sources of information about how military power is used.”
The move comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and the media, as the government shutdown stretches into its third week and several agencies face scrutiny over press restrictions.
