A number of prominent US media outlets have rejected a new press clearance policy approved by the Department of Defense, which limits what accredited journalists can publish.
Journalists have until five in the evening local time (21:00 GMT), today (Tuesday), to approve the new rules that were amended, after they were met with strong criticism in an initial draft that stated that “an appropriate authorized official must approve the information before it is published.”
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents journalists who cover the department, said in a statement published by US media that the updated rules still “appear to be designed to suppress freedom of the press, and potentially expose us to prosecution simply for doing our work.”
The media outlets, which include The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and CNN, said they would not sign the Pentagon’s amended policy, adding that it violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that all the new rules stipulate that “the press shall not roam freely,” “the press shall wear a visible signal,” and “the accredited press shall not be allowed to incite criminal acts.”
