Yesterday, American broadcasters were ejected from the Pentagon after refusing to sign an updated press credentials policy which includes a pledge to only publish material authorized by the Department of Defense.

Journalists had been given until 5pm Eastern Time on Tuesday to sign the new agreement or clear out their desks. Dozens of news organizations, including CNN, PBS, BBC, Reuters, The New York Times, and even administration-friendly broadcasters Fox News and NewsMax, let the deadline expire without signing. Onsite journalist, some of whom had been reporting from the Pentagon for years, vacated their workspaces and returned their press passes.. .One of the only broadcasters to sign the new policy was far-right, conspiracy-friendly One America News.

According to CNN, as reporters were leaving the building, a flyer with the message “Journalism is not a crime” was posted outside the Pentagon’s “Correspondents’ Corridor” where journalists gather.

The deadline for TV broadcasters has been extended till tomorrow to give teams time to strike and remove gear. Outlets have said they will continue their coverage of the Pentagon without relying on permanent bureaus set up inside the US military headquarters (which is also the second largest building in the world by area).

The New York Times has posted the new press guidelines in their entirely here.

ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, and NBC News issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday:

“We join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues.

“The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”

The Pentagon Press Association, a trade org for journalists working inside the US military headquarters said yesterday:

“Today, the Defense Department confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America.

“It did this because reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution.

“The Pentagon Press Association’s member are still committed to reporting on the U.S. military. But make no mistake, today, Oct. 15, 2025 is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all.”

Military Reporters and Editors (MRE), in a post on the organization’s site, had urged reporters not to sign the Pentagon’s new press policy, adding:

“Make no mistake – this is an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and on the American people, who deserve accurate reporting on how the world’s largest military is funded and managed with their tax dollars.

MRE also aired grievances against the new administration treatment of the press:

“Secretary Hegseth has not briefed Pentagon reporters in nearly four months, and Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson has not conducted a briefing in two months. The Defense Department has avoided questions from the press, all while U.S. troops are operating around the globe, the Pentagon has conducted legally questionable military strikes that have killed people in international waters and the administration has deployed troops to American cities.”

On Monday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared on Elon Musk’s X social media platform “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right”.

Chief Spokesman for the Pentagon, Sean Parnell also down the concerns: “The policy does not ask for them to agree, just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is. This has caused reporters to have a full blown meltdown, crying victim online. We stand by our policy because it’s what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.”

Pete Hegseth has also pushed boundaries this week for requiring that the policy speech he gave to an unprecedented gathering of senior officers last month be viewed, or the transcript read, by every member of the Defense Department, which employs almost 3 million people. It’s unknown what streaming platform the Pentagon will be employing.

Fun fact: The US Department of Defense was rebranded as the “Department of War” by the President, but in fact only Congress has the legal authority to change its designation.