Pentagon press policy is war over freedom versus security

The uproar over the Pentagon’s new press accreditation rules is far more than another Beltway skirmish — it’s a fundamental test of how America safeguards the tension between liberty and security. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recently announced that journalists covering the Pentagon must agree not to seek or publish “unauthorized information.” That move set off alarm bells across the mainstream media. Major outlets including The New York Times and The Associated Press have refused to sign the policy, arguing it muzzles reporters and revives memories of the Pentagon Papers era — when secrecy and spin too often replaced transparency and truth.