Pete Hegseth declares war on media, but new rules could backfire

Rules meant to constrain reporters may end up inviting more scrutiny of his department

- Bhagyashree Garekar US Bureau Chief

Reporters walking out of the Pentagon with their belongings after turning in their press badges on Oct 15 in Arlington, Virginia. Nearly all major American news organisations have refused to obey highly restrictive rules.

(PHOTO: AFP)

And the press - the pro-establishment Fox News included - has joined the battle by refusing to obey highly restrictive rules, which essentially demand that reporters surrender their right to report.

On Oct 15, nearly all major American news organisations lost access to the Pentagon after declining to accept War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new policy, which requires reporters to sign a pledge not to gather information that has not been authorised for release by his department.

Media outfits across the spectrum - from the liberal New York Times to the conservative Wall Street Journal to the Trump-friendly Fox News and Newsmax — rejected the rules. In response, their reporters were asked to turn in their media badges and vacate their workspaces.

The one outlier that agreed was One America News Network, a far-right news and political commentary TV channel and website.

Defence reporters and editors say they will continue to cover their beat despite not being able to enter the Pentagon building, where they attended press conferences and background briefings and interacted with military officials.

The new rules are unlikely to deter the media from pursuing exclusive stories. They do not explicitly bar the media from investigating, reporting or publishing stories containing sensitive information. However, the rules state that reporters can be deemed a “security risk” if they ask military officials for such information.