The Pentagon has announced a revamped press corps largely composed of conservative and independent media organisations after several major news outlets refused to accept new restrictions on press access.
The reshuffle follows a wave of resignations from legacy media groups including The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press, which denounced the Department of War’s new media access policy as an assault on press freedom.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said more than 60 journalists from “a broad spectrum of new media and independent outlets” have joined the corps, alongside 26 reporters from outlets that accepted the updated terms. The new lineup features right-leaning platforms such as Gateway Pundit, Human Events, Timcast, Just the News, LindellTV, and Turning Point USA’s Frontlines.
The revised policy, introduced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, allows the Pentagon to revoke credentials from reporters deemed “security or safety risks,” including those who contact staff for sensitive information.
Critics argue the rules criminalise basic reporting practices. The Washington Post called the policy a direct threat to First Amendment protections, while The New York Times said it punishes “ordinary news gathering.” Parnell, however, defended the shake-up, claiming legacy mainstream journalists had “self-deported” and that Americans “no longer trust activist media pretending to be objective.”
Image credit: Planet Volumes
The mainstream media by acting like propagandists have ushered in this environment and now they don’t like it. Reap what you sow.