US journalists exit Pentagon after refusing new reporting rules

After the Trump administration asked to comply with new government-imposed restrictions, dozens of reporters turned in their access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday, according to reports. 

The move marked a significant step back for journalists covering the US military, distancing them from the center of American defense operations.

The new rules, introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, were widely criticised by media organisations, which were nearly unanimous in rejecting the policy.

Under the new guidelines, journalists could be expelled for reporting any information — classified or not — that had not been explicitly cleared by Hegseth for public release. The nation’s leadership defended the restrictions as “common sense” measures to manage what they described as a “very disruptive” press, as per reports.

Many reporters coordinated their departure to coincide with a 4 pm deadline set by the Department of Defense. As the hour neared, corridors in the Pentagon filled with boxes of documents, and journalists were seen carrying out personal items — chairs, books, old photographs, and even a copier — from their now-abandoned workspaces, according to reports. 

Shortly after 4 pm, a group of roughly 40 to 50 journalists exited the building together, handing in their credentials as they left.

The US president reportedly said on Tuesday that he finds the press to be “very disruptive in terms of world peace”. The Pentagon Press Association, comprising 101 members from 56 news organisations, has voiced its opposition to the new rules. Media outlets across the spectrum instructed their reporters to walk out rather than agree to the revised regulations.