Defense Trade Press Statement on Pentagon Media Restrictions

"For decades, the defense trade media has been a trusted source of news and insight about Defense Department programs, budgets, and strategy. Ethical, accurate, and timely reporting makes that possible. The public, industry, and indeed the department itself benefit from granting credentialed defense reporters access to unclassified areas in the Pentagon and from the trust engendered by that access. The Pentagon has been seeking to impose unprecedented restrictions on journalists' ability to cover the military for several months."

"Having restricted where unescorted media may go in the Pentagon-such that even visiting the public affairs offices of the military services now requires an escort-department leaders are asking reporters to sign a document acknowledging a vague new policy that, on its face, appears to contravene the First Amendment. This policy threatens to punish reporters who ask legitimate questions in the course of their daily work and to impose material harm on our news organizations for factual reporting."

Defense trade media has long provided trusted news and insight on Defense Department programs, budgets, and strategy. Ethical, accurate, and timely reporting enables that trust. The public, industry, and the department benefit from granting credentialed defense reporters access to unclassified Pentagon areas and from the trust engendered by that access. The Pentagon has been seeking to impose unprecedented restrictions on journalists' ability to cover the military, including limiting where unescorted media may go and requiring escorts to visit military service public affairs offices. Department leaders are asking reporters to sign a vague new policy that appears to contravene the First Amendment. Journalists from the undersigned defense trade publications will not sign the policy and will continue fair, independent coverage of military, defense, and national security topics.

Read at Breaking Defense