US Media Outlets Criticise Pentagon’s New Restrictions On Media Coverage

Last Updated:September 23, 2025, 05:56 IST

News organisations like The New York Times and Reuters condemn US Pentagon restrictions on media, citing First Amendment violations and threats to press freedom and transparency

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. (AP Image)

The news organisations have condemned the US government for imposing restrictions on media, claiming that it violated the First Amendment.

According to the new policy, beat reporters with Pentagon credentials will need to sign a pledge not to obtain or use unauthorised material. The new rules were sent to reporters on Friday.

“This policy operates as a prior restraint on publication, which is considered the most serious of First Amendment violations,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told CNN.

He further said: “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that journalists are entitled to lawfully obtain and publish government secrets. That is essentially the job description of an investigative journalist.”

However, the new policy is set to turn this entitlement as a cause for revoking press credentials.

“Asking independent journalists to submit to these kinds of restrictions is at stark odds with the constitutional protections of a free press in a democracy,” a spokesperson for The New York Times said.

“We are deeply concerned by the U.S. Pentagon’s newly announced restrictions on press coverage. A free and independent press is essential to American democracy, ensuring transparency and accountability. Any effort by the U.S. government to limit journalists’ ability to cover the news undermines fundamental First Amendment protections and constrains the free flow of information that is critical to informed public debate,” Reuters said in a statement.

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