The final nail in the coffin of press freedom: Pentagon restricts journalists’ access.
According to Reuters, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett has issued orders requiring journalists to have an official escort at many parts of the Pentagon, the latest in a series of restrictions on the press by the Trump administration.
The measures, which take effect immediately, bar accredited journalists from most of the Pentagon’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, unless they have official clearance and an escort.
While the Department of Defense is committed to transparency, the department is equally obligated to protect CSNI (Classified National Intelligence) and sensitive information, the secretary of defense said in a memo.
The Pentagon Press Association said the new rules were a “direct attack on press freedom.”
According to Reuters, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued new orders requiring journalists to be accompanied by an official escort in many areas of the Pentagon. This latest directive is part of a series of press restrictions implemented by the Trump administration.
The new measures, which are effective immediately, prohibit accredited journalists from accessing most parts of the Pentagon’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, unless they have both official clearance and an escort.
In a memo, the defense secretary emphasized that while the Department of Defense remains committed to transparency, it also has a responsibility to protect Classified National Intelligence (CSNI) and sensitive information.
In response, the Pentagon Press Association condemned the new rules, calling them a “direct attack on press freedom.”