In recent weeks, the Department of Defense announced new restrictions for the press operating inside the Pentagon. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did so in a bid to bring an end to unauthorized leaks inside the facility. He wants to limit the amount of free rein journalists have had throughout the building, instituting stricter guidelines for credentials and designating specific no-go zones that would require escorts for access. 

This new policy has, as expected, rankled those in the press corps. The Pentagon Press Association has issued over-the-top reactions, suggesting that this borders on censorship and could lead to legal trouble for journalists. The group says this policy is “designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs.”

Since Pete Hegseth was confirmed to take over as Secretary of War, he has been met with near-constant media aggression. Add to this the Jeffrey Goldberg involvement in the Signal Scandal, and leaks about the Iran bombing mission being a “failure”, and you can understand the desire to clamp down on press access.

Report: This Is How Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg Got Added to Infamous Signal Chat

Despite this mewling heard from the journos, Scott Nover, writing at the Washington Post, could not avoid the central purpose of this new policy.

The revised policy expands the prohibitions on journalists from not just accessing unauthorized information, but also soliciting it. “Soliciting or encouraging government employees to break the law falls outside the scope of protected newsgathering activities,” the policy said.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell was rather direct in his comments regarding this policy and the negotiations with the PPA. As he establishes the new policy, he points out that he was not demanding an agreement from news outlets but issuing it to have them acknowledge that they understand it. Translation: You don’t have to like it, just show that you’ve seen it.

Joining the PPA in being displeased is another journalist group, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. This outfit was part of the negotiation with the Pentagon over the new policies, and it is not happy with the results. “The fact is we still have concerns with the updated language of the policy and expect that it will pose a significant impediment as journalists weigh with their employers whether or not to sign this revised version,” it said in a statement. 

In a dose of sheer obliviousness, these same press members employ the very tactic they are complaining about from the Pentagon. As they gripe about closing down information and access to anonymous sourcing, when asked about their intentions in the face of this new policy, the journalists go off the record and clamp down on their intentions.

Several credentialed journalists from different news organizations told The Washington Post that they will not sign the Pentagon policy. Speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to divulge their plans, they said they largely view the revised rules as harsher than the original because of the prohibition on soliciting information.

Priceless. How DARE Hegseth and the DoD use the very tactics the press is currently using! But the underlying factor in this dustup is that the press is not in a position of leverage. They can posture angrily and preen about not signing onto this new policy, but it will only lead to them experiencing diminished access. 

The Pentagon response has basically been a shrug. Writes Nover: “The Pentagon has not conceded to its critics. Rather, it has in some respects tightened its restrictions.”

Added Parnell: “Access to the Pentagon is a privilege, not a right and the Department is not only legally permitted, but morally obligated to impose reasonable regulations on the exercise of that privilege.”

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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