Journalists leave the Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules

Dozens of reporters handed in badges and walked out of the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to government restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the US military away from its seat of power. The US government described the new rules as “common sense.”

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The media was almost unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to being fired if they sought to report information — classified or otherwise — that Hegseth did not agree to publish.

Several reporters waited to leave together at the Defense Department’s 4 p.m. deadline to exit the building.

As the hour approached, boxes of documents lined the Pentagon corridor, and reporters carried chairs, copiers, books and old photos into the parking lot of the suddenly deserted workspaces. Shortly after 4 p.m., about 40 to 50 journalists left together after handing out badges.