"United States President Donald Trump's administration has announced new restrictions on media outlets' reporting of the country's military, including a requirement that journalists pledge not to publish unauthorised information. Under the new rules unveiled by the Department of War, previously the Department of Defense, reporters could lose their credentials to cover the military if they refused to sign a pledge agreeing to only disclose approved information."
"If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American, Balsamo said in a statement. Independent reporting on the military is essential to democracy. It is what allows citizens to hold leaders accountable and ensures that decisions of war and peace are made in the light of day."
"The measures also limit the movements of journalists within the Arlington, Virginia-based Pentagon building itself, designating much of the facility off-limits without an escort. The press' does not run the Pentagon the people do, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a post on X following a report about the changes. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules or go home."
The administration introduced new Pentagon rules requiring journalists to sign a pledge to disclose only authorised information, with credentials at risk for refusal. The memo mandates that information, even if unclassified, must be approved by an authorising official before release. The measures restrict journalists' movements inside the Arlington Pentagon, making much of the facility off-limits without an escort. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the changes, telling reporters to wear badges and follow rules or leave. Press organisations condemned the policy, arguing that government approval of military news undermines independent reporting and democratic accountability.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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