Following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement of a new Pentagon press policy, Americans may soon know far less about the U.S. military. The controversial policy sparked an immediate backlash, prompting over 40 journalists from major news outlets—including Fox News, ABC, Associated Press, PBS and CNN—to storm out of the building in protest.

While the full policy is not publicly accessible, its core mandate requires that all information journalists publish “must be approved for public release by an authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.”

In a powerful display of dissent, reporters forfeited their press badges and left, carrying boxes of equipment and personal items. The participation of Fox News was particularly striking, given the organization’s historical alignment with Donald Trump. Their decision to leave directly opposes the president’s views, highlighting the policy’s profound threat to press access. Previously, Pentagon press badges granted journalists the freedom to explore non-classified areas and report on the U.S. government and military. The new policy revokes that access, requiring journalists to be escorted and restricted to the press briefing room and food court.

Beyond physical restrictions, Hegseth instructed journalists not to report any information they have not been explicitly granted access to. This will significantly curtail the public’s knowledge of the Pentagon’s inner workings and the activities of the Department of Defense.

It is important to note that this policy only applies to journalists within the Pentagon’s chain of command, not affecting independent news organizations.

As the Pentagon enforces these new rules, critical questions remain about the public’s right to be informed and the policy’s ultimate impact on free speech and government transparency.