The Department of War has implemented new rules concerning press privileges and news-gathering at the Pentagon.
Even though the policy concerning reporter access is far less restrictive than an earlier version — the draft of which was floated last month — liberal publications have thrown fits and refused to acknowledge the new rules in exchange for press credentials.
‘Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right.’
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized last week that reporters and publications do not have to agree with the new “common-sense media procedures” but “just to acknowledge that they understand what our policy is.”
Despite acknowledging that press credentials are conditioned on an understanding of the rules, not an agreement with them, the Pentagon Press Association characterized the rules as a form of intimidation, going so far as to suggest that they dishonor American military families.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth used an emoji to wave goodbye on Monday to the Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Washington Post when they pushed the PPA’s framing and pronounced on X that they were not going to sign the agreement by the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
Matt Murray, the Post’s executive editor, who received Hegseth’s pixelated adios, stated, “The proposed restrictions undercut First Amendment protections by placing unnecessary constraints on gathering and publishing information.”
Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic’s editor in chief, who has pushed his weight in fake news, and NYT Washington bureau chief Richard Stevenson similarly complained that the rules violated their teams’ First Amendment rights.
The Associated Press, Breaking Defense, CNN, Newsmax, Reuters, Task & Purpose, and the Wall Street Journal are among the other publications that have indicated they will not agree to the new policy by deadline.
After bidding the liberal publications farewell, Hegseth noted for edification of “DUMMIES” in the media that the new rules are, in essence, that reporters can no longer roam free through the halls of the Pentagon; members of the press must wear visible badges; and the “credentialed press [is] no longer permitted to solicit criminal acts.”
RELATED: Hegseth restores warrior ethos after years of woke Pentagon rot
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Hegseth added that “Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right.” Blaze News reached out to the Pentagon for clarity about that statement.
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson noted that “despite good faith negotiations with representatives of the Pentagon Press Association, reporters would rather clutch their pearls on social media than stop trying to get warfighters and DOW civilians to commit a crime by violating Department-wide policy.”
“We stand by our media policy,” continued Wilson. “It’s now up to them whether they’d like to report from the Pentagon or their newsroom.”
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