The New York Times on Friday became the latest news organization to refuse a new mandate by the U.S. military aimed at curbing reports on sensitive materials and classified information.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the New York Times said it would not sign the revised Pentagon press pass policy, “which threatens to punish (reporters) for ordinary news-gathering protected by the First Amendment.”
“Since the policy was first announced, we have expressed concerns that it constrains how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars annually,” the Times said. “The public has a right to know how the government and military are operating. The Times is dedicated to pursuing the public interest through deep, fair reporting and an unwavering pursuit of the facts.”
Last month, the Pentagon notified a number of news organizations that hold passes to public and non-public areas of the office building that their access could be terminated if they didn’t sign a new agreement that limits the disclosure of information to approved communications.
This week, the Pentagon Press Association said it was treating the new edict with caution. It said a condition approved by the Pentagon that allowed news organizations to endorse the order under duress was not enough to satisfy concerns about the policy.
The policy prohibits news outlets from “soliciting” information from Pentagon employees, including requests that workers share non-public information with journalists.
“We acknowledge and appreciate that the Pentagon is no longer requiring reporters to express agreement with the new policy as a condition for obtaining press credentials,” a spokesperson from the Pentagon Press Association said in a statement. “But the Pentagon is still asking us to affirm in writing our ‘understanding’ of policies that appear designed to stifle a free press and potentially expose us to prosecution for simply doing our jobs.”
Pentagon officials justify the new policy as necessary to ensure the strength of domestic and international safety. But a number of free speech organizations refute this, saying journalism is intrinsically tied with public safety, not a threat to it.
“National security is strengthened, not threatened, when journalists can investigate and report without fear,” Tim Richardson, the Director of PEN America’s journalism and disinformation program, said this week.
The issue comes several months after the Pentagon, under the direction of its secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, evicted a number of news outlets from their long-time offices in the building’s Correspondent’s Corridor.
The evictions impacted CNN, the Washington Post, NBC News, National Public Radio (NPR) and Politico. Some of those outlets published news articles that were critical of the Trump administration during his first time in office and each of his three election campaigns.
News outlets that were allowed to move into those offices — including Breitbart, One America News (OAN) Network and the New York Post — have published reports that are generally favorable of Trump and members of his administration.
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