Pentagon Imposes Pledge Requirement on Journalists, Sparking Free Press Fears

September 20, 2025 – USA –

The Pentagon, under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has introduced a sweeping new policy requiring journalists who cover the Department of Defense to sign a pledge forbidding them from gathering, possessing, or publishing any information—even if it is unclassified—without prior authorization. In effect, reporters who do not comply risk losing their Pentagon press credentials.

According to a 17-page memo circulated among credentialed media, information handled by the Pentagon “must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” The memo also imposes restrictions on journalists’ movement inside the Pentagon, limiting access to certain areas and requiring escorts to enter zones previously accessible under looser rules.

The policy’s defenders claim the changes are necessary to safeguard national security, protect sensitive information, and prevent leaks. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has described the guidelines as “common-sense” measures to protect classified and other sensitive materials.

However, the move has sparked intense backlash from media organizations, journalists, civil liberties advocates, and some lawmakers. Critics argue it amounts to prior restraint—a legal term referring to government censorship of speech before it occurs—and violates First Amendment protections. The National Press Club called the pledge requirement an “assault on independent journalism,” warning that if the military controls what may or may not be reported, transparency and accountability will suffer.

Major media outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and NPR, have issued statements strongly opposing the policy, arguing that it undermines the public’s right to know and erodes press freedom.

This development follows earlier Pentagon restrictions implemented under Hegseth, including barring reporters from certain areas without escorts and revoking privileges or office space for legacy media outlets. Observers see the new pledge as part of a broader pattern under the current administration of tightening control over how information, even unclassified, is shared with the public.

The debate now hinges on balancing legitimate national security concerns against constitutional protections for press freedom—and on whether courts or Congress will intervene to challenge what many see as government overreach.

Reference – 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/20/pentagon-journalists-restrictions-pledge

https://www.npr.org/2025/09/20/g-s1-89713/pentagon-new-strict-guidelines-for-media

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/pete-hegseth-pentagon-leaks-journalist-restrictions-b2830454.html