The Pentagon's bunker mentality

"Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Axios the directive is the result of a process that kicked off this summer "to thoroughly vet all external engagements to ensure the department does not lend its name and credibility to organizations, forums and events that run counter to the values of this administration." It comes as the Pentagon also rolls out rules that require reporters to sign a pledge not to gather information that hasn't been officially authorized for release, or risk losing their credentials."

"Friction point: The moves come at a moment when tempers are already frayed. The Pentagon has held far fewer public press briefings than in previous administrations. It's replaced the offices of several mainstream outlets with friendlier, conservative networks. It's yanked military officials - last-minute - from well-established events, including the Aspen Security Forum and Defense News Conference. And Hegseth and others have taken every opportunity to bash the mainstream: media, think tanks, science."

""When you don't regularly brief and you just go on TV or to outlets that cater to just one audience, you are neglecting that there's a whole world stage out there that takes guidance from what the United States says," Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson under the Biden administration, told Axios. "When you're restricting information and choking information off, it actually is going to come at your detriment.""

The Department of Defense implemented a memo changing procedures for external engagements, aiming to diversify and vet participation that previously clustered toward certain institutions. The directive instructs thorough vetting to avoid lending the department’s credibility to organizations that contradict administration values. The Pentagon also issued rules requiring reporters to pledge not to collect unauthorized information, or face credential loss. The administration has reduced public press briefings, reassigned mainstream press offices to conservative networks, and pulled officials from established events. Officials have publicly criticized mainstream media, think tanks, and science. These shifts have increased tensions around information access and public messaging.

Read at Axios