Pete Hegseth said reporters should follow the rules or ‘go home’. (AP photo) In an effort by the Trump administration to shape media reporting, the US Department of War has said that journalists need to agree to use only pre-approved information about the military and not disclose any unauthorised information or risk losing their credential to cover the Pentagon, BBC reported.
The new rule, that includes restrictions on the movement of journalists within the Pentagon facility, is reportedly part of an updated press credentialing process presented to news organizations this week. The rules came in a memo by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
The Pentagon’s memo required journalists to sign a 10-page form which would act as a condition for receiving and holding a press pass to report on the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense, Bloomberg reported. The development comes amid a series of leaks from the Pentagon in recent months.
The “press” does not run the Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home. pic.twitter.com/nkG1m6bW3z
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 19, 2025
In a post on social media, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War said, “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon — the people do. 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 Pentagon memo issued on Thursday stated “it remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust.”
The memo further added, “DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorising official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” Journalists reporting from the Pentagon will have to sign a pledge to restrict their movements in the building and refrain from accessing any unauthorised material. But if the journalists refuse to sign, their respective Pentagon press passes will be revoked.
Hegseth had announced in May about the certain restrictions to be placed on journalists reporting from the Pentagon. The secretary of war has limited media access after he faced backlash over sharing sensitive information regarding US’ strike on Yemen in March in a Signal group chat where a journalist was included.
(with inputs from BBC, Bloomberg)