Dozens of journalists turned in their badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday, Oct. 15, instead of agreeing to government-issued restrictions on their jobs, AP News reported.
Just a few weeks prior, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth imposed rules that would leave journalists vulnerable if they reported on information that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.
Hegseth called the rules “common sense” and said that requiring journalists to sign a document outlining the rules means they only have to acknowledge them, not necessarily agreeing with them.
Many journalists see no difference.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday – the deadline set by the Department of Defense to get out of the building – about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in their badges.
“It’s sad, but I’m also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together.” Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic, told AP News. Youssef has had a desk at the Pentagon since 2007.
News organizations such as The New York Times, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and Reuters all publicly stated that they will not be signing the policy. The outlets are in agreement that the policy threatens to punish them for “routine news gathering protected by the First Amendment.”
Despite dozens of journalists leaving their desks, it has not stopped them from reporting on the military. Reporters are relying on sources to break and add “nuance” to stories about recent U.S. attacks in the Caribbean.
The Washington Post reported Friday, Oct. 17, that 15 people signed the new press policy, according to BBC.
It included reporters from conservative outlets the Federalist and the Epoch Times and two journalists from One America News. There were other foreign outlets, including six from Turkey.
Christopher Newport University (CNU) Professor and Director of the Journalism Minor Cynthia Vacca Davis responded to The Captain’s Log after an inquiry about her opinion.
“Freedom of the press and democracy are inextricably linked,” Professor Davis wrote back in an email. “No legitimate news outlet would ever sign an agreement like the one Hegseth presented to journalists. If the government has the power to censor or influence what journalists report, then we no longer live in a democracy.”
