A dramatic and controversial transformation has taken place within the Pentagon press corps, a once-prestigious bastion of US defence journalism. In October 2025, the majority of credentialed reporters from established media organisations walked out, surrendering their coveted press passes rather than agree to restrictive new terms set by the defence department.
The Walkout and the New Guard
This mass exodus was triggered by a 21-page Pentagon document that imposed severe constraints on journalistic activity. Reporters were required to pledge not to obtain unauthorised material, effectively limiting them to reporting officially provided information, and agreed to limits on accessing certain parts of the Pentagon building.
Following the departure of traditional outlets, the Pentagon issued passes to dozens of rightwing media figures and organisations willing to sign the agreement. The new corps now includes figures such as Laura Loomer, a Trump confidante; streaming channel LindellTV, founded by MyPillow CEO and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell; and former congressman Matt Gaetz, now a host for One America News Network. Other new entrants include Turning Point USA, the Daily Signal, the Gateway Pundit, and the Post Millennial.
A Critical Scrutiny Vacuum
This shift comes at a particularly sensitive time for the Pentagon, which is embroiled in significant controversy. An independent inspector general's report recently found that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth "created a risk to operational security" by using the Signal app to discuss details of a Yemen operation, a debacle that included a journalist from The Atlantic and led to calls for his resignation. The department also faces ongoing questions over a double strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.
Experts argue the new press corps is ill-equipped to provide the rigorous scrutiny these events demand. "It's incredibly problematic. We're talking about severely limited access to the already secretive military-industrial complex," said Carole-Anne Morris, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She described the new arrangement as creating "mouthpieces and apologists for this administration."
Legal Challenges and Constitutional Concerns
The move has sparked significant legal and constitutional backlash. The New York Times has sued the Pentagon and Hegseth, alleging the new rules restrict journalists' fundamental ability to gather information beyond official statements. First Amendment advocates warn the policy is a clear violation of free speech protections.
"Everything about the press and the way it works requires independence from the government," said Gregg Leslie of the First Amendment Clinic at Arizona State University. "Once they start making decisions that discriminate against you based on how you're going to cover something or what your viewpoint is, that's going to become completely unacceptable."
In response to criticism, the Pentagon issued a cheerful, school newspaper-style report heralding a "whirlwind of activity" onboarding its new press corps of over 70 "independent journalists, bloggers and social media influencers." Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson stated this "'new media' operates differently" and is "better equipped to inform a broader swath of the American public."
The fundamental nature of Pentagon reporting has been altered, trading independent journalistic scrutiny for a system critics decry as state-managed messaging, raising profound questions about transparency and accountability at the highest levels of US defence.
