• Over 30 major US news organizations have declined to sign a new Pentagon access policy.
• The policy imposes severe restrictions on journalists, labeling them security risks for seeking information.
• Chief Pentagon spokesperson criticized media reactions, claiming the policy is necessary for national security.
• The changes have led to the revocation of press credentials for journalists from numerous outlets.
• Only One America News Network has agreed to the new rules.

In a significant pushback against government restrictions, more than 30 leading news organizations have refused to sign a new Pentagon press access policy that many view as a direct threat to press freedoms. Notable outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and Reuters are among those declining to comply with the stringent requirements outlined in the new policy, which mandates that journalists could be classified as security risks and face revocation of their press credentials if they seek unauthorized information, even if it is unclassified, according to The Hill, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, and Channel News Asia.

The Pentagon has made it clear that by Tuesday's deadline, media outlets must either accept the new policy or lose their press access entirely. The changes not only limit the movement of journalists within the complex but also threaten penalties for those who engage with personnel without prior clearance. This controversy has drawn concerns from the Pentagon Press Association, which called the day “a dark day for press freedom,” stating that the new policy threatens to limit transparency and accountability within the Department of Defense, according to Reuters, BBC, TRT Global, and South China Morning Post.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the new rules, suggesting they are necessary for national security. He noted that the policy does not require agreement but simply an acknowledgment of its contents, asserting, "This has caused reporters to have a full-blown meltdown, crying victim online." He posted on social media in response to media refusals, implying that the departing journalists would no longer have access, as noted by India Times, India Times, and Reuters.

The ban affects coverage capabilities significantly, leading to shared sentiments among journalists, who assert that they will continue to report on military activities albeit lacking direct access to Pentagon personnel and facilities, as articulated by the Pentagon Press Association. Only the pro-Trump news outlet One America News Network expressed willingness to comply with the new policy, highlighting a divide in media perspectives and the potential for compromised coverage of military actions, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and HuffPost.