The War Department has abruptly reversed a contentious press policy that had reporters and lawmakers alike sounding the alarm on threats to media freedom.
After mounting criticism and two weeks of closed-door negotiations, the department rescinded a rule requiring journalists to obtain approval before publishing Pentagon-related stories containing unreleased information, the Washington Examiner reported.
The original guideline, enacted under the radar, mandated that accredited journalists covering the Pentagon submit their reporting on unreleased content for department review before publishing. That move struck many, rightly so, as more fitting for an authoritarian regime than the United States of America.
Security Justifications Weren’t Enough To Quiet Backlash
Perhaps sensing they’d overreached, Pentagon officials withdrew the guideline on Monday, as first confirmed by the New York Times. Their justification was national security, but after pressure from major media players and bipartisan pushback, that defense collapsed under scrutiny.
Despite the reversal, the updated guidelines still require that information be cleared for public release by an authorized official if it hasn’t already been publicly disseminated—even when the material is unclassified. That’s a backdoor control lever, wrapped in the ribbon of process.
The Washington Examiner had previously reported that journalists who violated the now-scrubbed rule risked having their credentials stripped—an eyebrow-raising consequence that unsettled press advocates.
Freedom Of The Press, American-Style
“DoW remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” the department said in a statement. But as usual with bureaucratic double-speak, there was a catch.
“However, DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified,” the same statement concluded. That fine print is where the constitutional purists and free-press hawks might need to stay alert.
In fairness, government information often must be managed responsibly. But when basic facts need Pentagon stamps of approval, we’ve clearly veered into troubling territory. National security is no excuse for shadow censorship.
Reaction From Lawmakers Was Sharp And Swift
Not everyone bought the official line. Rep. Don Bacon didn’t hold back on social media, posting, “This is so dumb that I have a hard time believing it is true.”
He hit the nail on the head: “We don’t want a bunch of Pravda newspapers only touting the Government’s official position. A free press makes our country better.”
Bacon called it “more amateur hour,” and it’s hard to disagree. The War Department tried to wag the dog and got bitten by a watchdog press that, for once, did its job well.
Updated Rules Still Have Their Tethers
Though the most aggressive restrictions are gone, a few strings remain. Journalists must sign a new agreement to access Pentagon press areas—even if they disagree with the rules outlined in the agreement.
The department allows one week for reporters to review these updated terms, though refusal to sign leads to immediate loss of credential eligibility.
And while the newest rules don’t require reporters to “submit their writings” for approval before publication, the shadow of vague ‘security risk’ infractions still looms. Violating those could still lead to credential revocation, a threat that keeps the pressure dialed just high enough.
