Major news outlets are standing together and refusing to sign. ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NBC News have all rejected a new Pentagon policy that would impose unprecedented restrictions on news gathering.
The policy requires journalists to agree to limits on how they report and access information, something all the organizations say violates First Amendment protections and places unreasonable curbs on press freedom.
The Pentagon has given reporters who refuse to sign until Wednesday afternoon to hand over their credentials, effectively locking them out of Pentagon coverage.
Why signing this policy would be dangerous:
– It undermines press freedom. The government shouldn’t decide what information the public can or can’t know, that’s the role of a free press.
– It sets a chilling precedent. Once one agency can silence independent reporting, others can follow.
– It restricts investigative journalism. Reporters could lose credentials for pursuing stories that don’t fit the official narrative.
– It limits public accountability. Without reporters asking hard questions, misconduct and waste could go unchecked.
– It deprives Americans of truth. The public’s right to know how our military operates (especially in matters of war, spending, and policy) would be severely weakened.
– It risks creating state-approved media. When only “authorized” information is allowed, journalism becomes propaganda.
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