The US Pentagon (Department of Defense, under the Trump administration) has introduced new media accreditation rules that require journalists to get official approval before reporting on certain military information, even if that information is unclassified.

• Requirement: News organizations must agree not to disclose information about the US military unless it has been “approved for public release by an appropriate authorising official.”

• Consequence: Publishing unauthorized sensitive material can result in the journalist’s or outlet’s Pentagon press credentials being revoked (denying access to the Pentagon and all U.S. military installations).

The Department of Defense defends the rules as “basic, common-sense guidelines” necessary to safeguard national security and sensitive information.

The new policy has sparked widespread condemnation, being described as a “direct assault” on independent journalism.

• Critics Argue: If news about the military must first be approved by the government, the public is getting only “what officials want them to see,” stifling independent reporting on vital issues like military operations and disaster relief.

• Major Outlets Affected: Leading U.S. media organizations, including The New York Times, Reuters, and The Washington Post, have denounced the restrictions.

  Is this new Pentagon policy a necessary measure for national security, or a dangerous expansion of government censorship that undermines a free press?