Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Threatens to Revoke the Press Passes of Pentagon Reporters Who Don’t Obtain Approval Before Publishing Any Story About the Agency

Sep 20, 2025

In an extraordinary clampdown on the press, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has imposed a new policy that basically limits Pentagon reporters to reprinting press releases.

NPR reports:

Going forward, journalists must sign a pledge not to gather any information, including unclassified reports, that hasn’t been authorized for release.
Using the rebranded “Department of War” acronym, “DoW,” the 17-page document obtained by NPR outlining the new rules for the media says those who fail to obey the new policy will lose their press credentials—cutting off access to the headquarters of the largest department in the U.S. government.
“DoW remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” the document said. “However, DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” …
Earlier this year, Hegseth announced new rules limiting reporters’ ability to move freely through the Pentagon without an approved escort—a change that broke years of tradition of both Democratic and Republican administrations.

The fact that this includes unclassified information reveals that it is not about national security. It is entirely an attempt to control the news and to limit the media to reprinting this administration’s press releases.

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