The Pentagon has pushed for new policies about info that journalists can report on related to the Dept of Def.

Question

The Pentagon has pushed for new policies about the information that journalists can report on related to the Department of Defense. According to the BBC one of the policies says that military personnel cannot share information without the approval of the DOD.

Answer 1

This claim is that the Pentagon has attempted to implement new policies about the information journalists will be allowed to report regarding the Department of Defense (Now the Department of War). It specifically mentions a claim that military personnel will not be able to present journalists with any information without prior approval from the Department of War. 

An article published by BBC, written by Brajesh Upadhyay

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0ygg06pgko

This article is linked in the original post. 

The article mentions the policy submitted and claims that it contains a “provision that military personnel need approval before sharing information with the media, even if it isn't classified.” 

An article published by Aljazeera, written by Aren Hale

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/16/us-media-return-pentagon-passes-giving-up-access-after-new-rules-kick-in

This article also mentions this document. It escalates it further than the BBC article and claims that reporters were given a deadline of Wednesday afternoon to sign a 21 page document. This document contains the rules to receive press credentials and access the Pentagon. This article presents quotes from the Pentagon Press association. These quotes claim that  “reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalising national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution.” Over 30 news outlets have declined to follow the new guidelines issued by the Department of War. 

An article published by Fox 21 News, written by David Bauder

https://www.fox21news.com/news/national/ap-journalists-turn-in-access-badges-exit-pentagon-rather-than-agree-to-new-reporting-rules/

Confirms that this is a legitimate policy being implemented by Pete Hegseth and that journalists have nearly unanimously refused to abide and have vacated the pentagon.

This claim is true, and the Pentagon has not only attempted to implement these policies, but they have successfully pushed the policies forward despite dissent from journalists and news outlets. Based on this Reuters article (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-news-outlets-reject-pentagon-press-access-policy-2025-10-14/), which was updated ten hours ago, the Pentagon has chosen to revise the policy. Despite revision, the Pentagon remains adamant that publishing information that may be sensitive is not entirely protected by the First Amendment. The Pentagon has directly stated that “The press's rights are not absolute.”

Comments

I really liked how you included direct quotes from your sources and accurately summarized the main points. Also, the quantitative details, like the 21 page document and 30 news outlets, are helpful in understanding the dilemma. Something that confused me was the first source you used, Aljazeera, which I had never heard of. After some research I found that they are a very credible international news source. I think providing some brief background on your news sources could strengthen your argument. As someone who is interested in keeping up with this story as it develops, I appreciated how you found the most recent and truthful information through the Reuters article.

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This piece was structured beautifully and logically with clear analytical evidence. I like that you supported it through multiple credible sources. The writing is easy to follow and the conclusion wraps up well and is strong. Maybe doing a brief description of the sources, if they are biased, and where they stand politically would help this answer be amazing.

Answer 2

The claim that I will be fact-checking is: “The Pentagon has pushed for new policies about the information that journalists can report on related to the Department of Defense”.

This claim was originally posted from an article from the BBC News, which is already on the list of credible sources provided by News Detective. I wanted to search for more support on this claim, and I found an article on NPR titled “Defense Secretary Hegseth requires new ‘pledge’ for reporters at the Pentagon”. According the the NPR article, it says, “Going forward, journalists must sign a pledge not to gather any information, including unclassified reports, that hasn't been authorized for release”. Journalists who don’t follow the new policy will be seen as a “security risk” and will have their credentials taken away. The new restrictions are due to a broader policy set by the Trump administration that wants to limit coverage from outlets that President Trump deems unfair. Regarding the original News Detective post that says that military personnel can’t share information without the approval of the DOD, I did not find that specific information in the NPR article. However, the closest quote that highlights a similar policy says, “...DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified”. The DOD (The Department of Defense) has been renamed to the DOW (The Department of War). This doesn’t specifically point out military personnel, but I think that it is inferred by the quote that anyone needs approval from the DOW before releasing information. Overall, both of these sources are from the News Detective credible source list, and both sources include the new policy regarding information that journalists can report on.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/20/g-s1-89713/pentagon-new-strict-guidelines-for-media

Comments

I appreciate how you asserted that the sources you found were from the News Detective credible source list. I did not know such a list existed, so that will be a really helpful resource for my future fact-checks. Do you know how News Detective curates their list, or can I find that information somewhere? Otherwise, thank you for your answer!

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You did a great job verifying the claim with credible sources and pointing out that the NPR article doesn’t explicitly say military personnel can’t share information without approval. I like how you clarified the difference between what was stated and what might be inferred from the policy.

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You did a really great job using credible sources and also stating that some of them are from the News Detective credible source list. I didn’t know that was a thing, so that’s really great to know and i’m glad you shared it.

Answer 3

I like how the caption is factual and directly related to the article. The summary of the article is also very straight forward and easy to understand. The only thing I would have added is how this policy was annouced, which the article says it was through X. This is because it is important to understand how such a large social shift can be announced over a media platform like X.

Answer 4

This fact check asks us if there are new policies being put in place about what information journalists can report about the now named Department of War. Specifically it says military personnel cannot share information without the approval of the DOW before hand.

The source given to us in the Fact Check post link does corroborate this claim and in the article from a trusted source (BBC) we can see the president agreeing with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's enactment of these restrictions. "The press is very dishonest," Trump said, adding, the restrictions were necessary because Hegseth "finds the press to be very disruptive".

Another source I found that agree with this claim is from PBS where they say "Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power. The U.S. government has called the new rules “common sense.”" This same article also includes a video of the journalists leaving the Pentagon which shows that this is a very trustworthy source link.

This claim is accurate, and in spite of opposition from reporters and news organizations, the Pentagon has not only tried to execute these infractions on journalistic integrity but has also been effective in doing so. According to this article on Reuters link we can see that the policy has been revised by the Pentagon, but the Pentagon maintains that the First Amendment does not fully protect the publication of potentially sensitive information, even after amendment. "The rights of the press are not absolute," the Pentagon has explicitly said which lead to "At least 30 news organizations declined to sign a new Pentagon access policy for journalists, warning of the potential for less comprehensive coverage of the world's most powerful military"

 

Answer 5

The Pentagon has successfully implemented new policies that restrict what jounalists can report. The policies require military personnel to get approval before sharing even unclassified information with the media. Over 30 news outlets and reporters rejected the policy, turning in their access badges to the Pentagon. The Pentagon has maintained that “The press rights are not absolute.” All the news sources I found were secondary; you would need to see the actual statement from the Pentagon to confirm. BBC News confirms the new policy that “military personnel need approval before sharing information with the media, even if it is not classified. All the sources considered, like the BBC, are credible international news sources. They have a reliable bias. Multiple independent news reports confirm the existence and implementation of a new page policy. All reports make sure the Pentagon pushed and implemented the new policies.

Comments

I appreciate how you emphasized the credibility of your sources and the cross-verification between BBC and other outlets. Your mention of over 30 reporters turning in their badges gives helpful context on the policy’s real-world impact. However, I think it would add even more depth if you distinguished between the policies applying to journalists versus military personnel, since most of the controversy centers on how it affects the press directly.

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Your claim has some great key points concerning this headline such as over 30 news outlets rejecting the policy and journalist turning in their badges. Another good part of your claim was the use of credible sources. However what would have made your claim stronger, would be to make sure to add a clickable link to your sources so it is easier for others to fact check themselves. Another thing that would help would be possibly finding more information on a journalist point of view rather than just talking about the enforcement from military personnel. Despite those things, you back up your claim well.

Answer 6

This statement is mostly true. Recent reporting confirms that the Pentagon has introduced new press rules that restrict how journalists and defense personnel can share information. According to Politico, the policy requires that any Defense Department information, even unclassified, must be approved for public release by an authorized official. Reuters adds that journalists who ask employees to disclose restricted information could lose their Pentagon press credentials. Similarly, The Washington Post reports that the new rules prohibit both accessing and soliciting unauthorized information from military sources. While the BBC’s exact wording could not be verified, these sources confirm that the Pentagon is tightening control over what information can be shared without Department of Defense approval.

Sources: 

POLITICO

WASHINGTONPOST

REUTERS

Answer 7

I found this claim to be true and a very popular headline in the recent news. According an article produced by AP News it is stated that 40-50 journalist all turned in their access badges to the Pentagon and simply left because of the severe consequences that will happen to journalists when of reporting and publishing information from inside the Pentagon that wasn't approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

In an opinion article posted by NPR written by Tom Bowman, a journalist who has held a Pentagon press pass for the past 28 years, it is stated why Bowman and so many other journalist have given up their media passes to the Pentagon due to the new polices put into place by the nations leadership. The document the Defense Department they are making journalist sign and agree towards, "warns that journalists may lose their press credentials for "soliciting" even unclassified information from federal employees that has not been officially approved for release." Throughout many different presidential terms, the main thing that has remained mostly similar in all is the transparency from within the Pentagon, that is not the case now. In a different take, the Independent wrote an article on the limited news outlets or journalist who did sign the papers. This article showcased that the only few US based news outlets who signed the documents are pro-Trump outlets and out of the 15 journalist who signed the document, the majority of them (11 out of 15) are freelance journalist representing foreign companies, some in which included "a reporter for The Australian, a News Corp-owned Australian paper; an Afghan freelancer; and three lesser-known operations, AWPS News, the India Globe and a blog called USA Journal Korea." The fact that the journalist who are permitted to be in the Pentagon impose extreme biases or are not mainstream US outlets will be very interesting when it comes to the future of journalism in the government world. Both NPR and The Independent lean more left when it comes to news biases but are relatively in the middle. 

In an interview with Nermeen Shaikh on democracynow.org, it is stated that "in a joint statement, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and Fox News all said, quote, “We join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues.” This supports the claim that the Pentagons new policy of limiting the journalist ability to report is driving major media companies away from being able to report. I tried reaching out to the Department of Defense but received no reply back.

Answer 8

This statement appears to be true. The BBC (referenced in the article) cited White House conferences, wherein President Trump gave supporting statements in response to press questions regarding the situation. (BBC, PBS NewsHour)

Other primary sources include the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. On X, he responded to the Atlantic’s post denouncing the restrictive policy with a hand-waving emoji — presumably acknowledging and agreeing with the magazine’s decision to no longer report at the Pentagon — again pushing the validity of journalistic restriction within the DoD. (X) 

Lastly, this is a well-covered story. Other credible news cites, including PBS and AP News have picked up the story and written articles with similar claims and conclusions. In addition, these two sources have expanded on the story by including that “Shortly after 4, about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing in badges.”(PBS) 

Answer 9

Claim I'm investigating: The Department of war is implementing restrictions on what information the press can report on that pertains to the Pentagon.

The original article, by the BBC, claims that news organizations are required to sign on to a new Pentagon policy wherein the information they can receive from the Pentagon is tightly controlled by the Department of War. If they do not sign, they will lose their press badges for access to the Pentagon. According to BBC, most major news outlets have outright refused to sign, including some typically right-wing publications like Newsmax. This claim is corroborated by Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trumps-pentagon-says-press-must-agree-not-disclose-sensitive-information-2025-09-21/), The Associated Press (https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-defense-department-rules-95878bce05096912887701eaa6d019c6), and the Hill (https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5555237-trump-hegseth-pentagon-press-policy/) It is important to note that these articles are fairly consistent with each other, detailing that the policy is one news organizations are required to sign on to or lose access to the Pentagon altogether

Answer 10

This claim, which appears to be a clear infringement on rights of the first amendment, is in fact valid. BBC published an article on October 15, 2025 titled, “Top US news outlets push back against Pentagon’s reporting restrictions,” in which they disclose the memo the Pentagon sent out regarding the new restrictions and the backlash produced by top news companies. 

The Department of Defense, now called the Department of “War,” stated, as reported by BBC, “DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorising official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” The new memo includes that one must have the proper “credentials” in order to get information from the Pentagon. Following several leaks the Pentagon has experienced within the past few months, the Department suddenly cracked down on the freedom of the press, and BBC quotes Peter Hegseth’s social media comment regarding the movement of the press in the Pentagon for he states, “Wear a badge and follow the rules- or go home.” What leaves him to decide the integrity of journalists across the nation and what information is “authorized” or not to the people I do not know.

Press, journalists, and news companies across the country are calling this act a direct attack on first amendment rights. Associated Press published an article titled, “Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules,” and with the exodus of these writers the coverage on what’s going with the American military begins to slip away from the people. New sources like The Guardian, Harvard Kennedy School, and NPR argue that this new policy impacts the transparency and trust in the Pentagon, as a new wave of right-wing reporters enter its doors. 40 to 50 members of the Pentagon press corps proudly walked out together on October 15th, with boxes, papers, copiers, and other belongings in hand, after turning in their credentials, for they chose not to accept the abuse of their constitutional rights.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwywwjevprwo

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0ygg06pgko

https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-hegseth-trump-restrictions-5d9c2a63e4e03b91fc1546bb09ffbf12

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/23/nx-s1-5582750/pentagon-press-corps-gets-a-right-wing-makeover

https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/international-relations-security/pentagons-new-media-policy-raises