The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Press Club each issued statements condemning the new requirements the Department of Defense laid out for journalists on the military beat.
The Trump Administration is now requiring military-beat reporters to sign a pledge they will not gather any type of information that has not been cleared by the Pentagon leadership. It makes no difference if the material is classified or not. The Washington Post reported the 17-page document also restricts journalists’ access to the Pentagon
Criticism of the new requirement came swiftly.
SPJ condemns Pentagon’s unconstitutional restrictions on reporters
These rules restrict coverage to information the Pentagon has pre-approved for public release and punish possession of “unauthorized” material — even when unclassified — a de facto prior-approval system that chills independent reporting. They also confine reporters to limited areas of a public building and require brightly colored new badges marked “PRESS,” all of which collectively stigmatize reporters and obstruct access to information.
This policy reeks of prior restraint — the most egregious violation of press freedom under the First Amendment — and is a dangerous step toward government censorship. Attempts to silence the press under the guise of “security” are part of a disturbing pattern of growing government hostility toward transparency and democratic norms.
SPJ’s Code of Ethics charges journalists to “seek truth and report it,” to be “vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable,” and to “serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government,” ensuring the public’s business is conducted in the open. Ethical journalists must not compromise their independence in exchange for access; as the Code makes clear, “the highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.” These restrictions work at cross-purposes to those obligations and to the transparency the public deserves.
National Press Club Statement on Pentagon Restrictions That Threaten Independent Reporting
If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.
Independent reporting on the military is essential to democracy. It is what allows citizens to hold leaders accountable and ensures that decisions of war and peace are made in the light of day. This pledge undermines that principle, and the National Press Club calls on the Pentagon to rescind it immediately.