The US military has issued new media restrictions demanding that journalists pledge not to gather any information – including unclassified documents – that has not been authorized for release or else risk revocation of their press passes.

In a memo issued Thursday, the Pentagon stated that “it remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust”. However, using an abbreviation for the recently rebranded Department of War headed by the Trump administration’s Pete Hegseth, the memo added: “DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.”

It went on to say: “Only authorized persons who have received favorable determinations of eligibility for access, signed approved non-disclosure agreements, and have a need-to-know may be granted access to [classified national security information].”

Journalists reporting from the Pentagon are now required to sign a pledge agreeing to restrict their movements within the building and not to access any unauthorized materials. If they refuse to sign the pledge, their Pentagon press passes will be revoked.

In a post on X, Hegseth said Friday: “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules – or go home.”

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[–] 126 points 1 year ago (7 children)

I remember when this would be the biggest news for weeks and end any other presidency, especially a Democratic president. Now, this will probably be the last I hear of it.

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  • [–] 53 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do.

    So if you revoke their press passes... they're no longer the press... and they're just the people...

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  • [–] 38 points 1 year ago

    Ah. Just don’t listen to them. Collect whatever you deem fit for reporting on.

    Don’t preemptively cede ground to fascists. They wouldn’t do it for you.

    Not enough normies are testing the boundaries the same way the fascists are.

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  • [–] 28 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Whistleblowers should start posting the documents to porn hub for the piss of it

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  • [–] [S] 27 points 1 year ago

    On the one hand, what the fuck is this bullshit?

    On the other hand, everything they officially release is usually a lie anyway. Maybe just have a trusted source without a pass publish your "unmentionables?"

    They tweet their fucking war crimes in emojis, and the most interesting information to come out of the DoW has been leaks about also hooking their own employees up to polygraphs.

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    There has been very little "RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES" headlines lately. Goddam that trump is good at misdirection or (and even scarier) the media companies are complicit.

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year ago

    Last week: freedom of speech gone. This week: freedom of the press gone.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago

    The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do a fascist drunk who most of the people despise does

    There, fixed it for him.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    What the actual fuck, America?

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago

    only fox, NEWSMAX, oan wont have that restriction.

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  • [+] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] [S] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    Nyet, that's crazy talk.

    BTW, Paul Weyrich, the guy that created the Heritage Foundation also helped sneak computers and other electronics into the Soviet Union and held mock elections to teach Soviet politicians about democracy in 1989.

    In 1991 several members of Heritage formed the first of its kind go between for U.S. and Russia businesses to help them make the transition to capitalism.

    But we just don't talk about that apparently.

    Somebody made a documentary about some of it in 2012 that aired once on PBS and then never again.

    And then Weyrich gave a talk at a Christian college in 1996, and while taking questions from the audience he casually mentioned that as far as he knew, Gorbachev's right hand man wanted to crack down on him while he was holding mock elections. He claims when Gorbachev responded in silence the right hand man left his office and allegedly began planning the coup the next day unbeknownst to anyone from the U.S.

    And now here we are almost 40 years later, and shit seems to be coincidentally unfolding basically the exact same way as we continue to watch the Trump administration execute the publicly available playbook provided by Heritage.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    So the Department of War is now also the Department of Propaganda

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Why is no one talking about this "Dept of war" bullshit?

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Because ultimately the name doesn't really matter, it's just another ego flex like renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Whether they're the DoD or the DoW, they're doing the same bullshit.

    Also, DoW is the original name for that department, anyway. And honestly, it's more fitting given their history.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I'd rather it be called department of war because it's more accurate of what it's for.

    "Defense" has always been bullshit to placate the pearl-clutching disneyvision morons that plague our society.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    "Of course the independent press is free... To report what we allow them to."

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago