Major US media outlets refuse to sign Pentagon’s new reporting rules

Leading American newspapers and news agencies have declined to sign new Pentagon regulations requiring journalists to publish only official information and banning the use of anonymous sources.

The policy, presented last month by the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has been widely criticised by media organisations asked to sign the pledge by October 14 at 5 pm or have 24 hours to turn in their press credentials, Caliber.Az reports via The Guardian.

The move follows a shake-up in February in which long-credentialed media outlets were required to vacate assigned workspaces, which was cast as an “annual media rotation program”. A similar plan was presented at the White House, where some briefing room spots were given to podcasters and other representatives of non-traditional media.

Outlets accredited for Pentagon briefings have formally stated they will not comply with the Defence Department’s new policy, which prohibits reporters from collecting or publishing information from anonymous sources without authorisation and restricts media access to certain areas of the building.

On October 13, The Washington Post joined The New York Times, CNN, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Reuters, Associated Press, NPR, HuffPost, and Breaking Defence in refusing to sign the agreement with the Pentagon.

By Jeyhun Aghazada