The in-house Pentagon press corps has been largely reduced to a handful of right-wing publications, freelance reporters and foreign media outlets after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded journalists consent to a policy that restricts what they can cover.
Roughly 15 reporters have agreed to Hegseth’s rules, according to The Washington Post, while those from most major U.S. news outlets have refused to do so.
Some reporters who’ve acceded to Hegseth’s policy are from conservative media outlets like The Federalist, The Epoch Times and One America News Network, the Post reports.
Others work for foreign media publications, including Turkey’s Akşam and the country’s state-run Anadolu Agency. Two Turkish freelancers, an Afghan freelancer and a reporter for The Australian are among the additional reporters who’ve agreed to comply. AWPS News, the India Globe and a blog called USA Journal Korea are a trio of lesser-known publications that have signed on to the new policy.
Prominent conservative publications, including Fox News, The Daily Caller and Newsmax, have all refused to adhere to Hegseth’s demands, however — along with dozens of other outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and HuffPost.
