Journalists Against Data Journalism of the US Army

Dozens of reporters handed in their press cards and left the Pentagon building. Today, in rejection of the new restrictions imposed by the government on their work, in an unprecedented move that distances journalists who cover the US military from the center of military power.

The US Department of Defense described the new news coverage rules at the Pentagon as logical measures aimed at regulating what it described as destabilizing journalism.

Almost most of the media outlets rejected the rules approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which stipulates that any journalist who seeks to publish information, whether classified or unclassified, can be expelled without his prior approval to publish it.

A large number of journalists waited for the moment of departure at 4:00 p.m. local time in the United States, which is the deadline set by the Ministry of Defense to leave the building. 

As the hour approached, boxes of documents were lined up in the The Pentagon corridors, and reporters carried chairs, copiers, books, and old photos to their cars in the building’s parking lot, leaving behind their hastily evacuated desks.

Minutes after the scheduled time, about fifty journalists left together after handing in their official cards.

Nancy Youssef, a correspondent for The Atlantic who has worked at the Pentagon since 2007, said the situation was… Sad but a source of pride, stressing that the journalists’ adherence to the principles of their profession was stronger than submitting to the new restrictions. 

She indicated that she kept the map of the Middle East as she left her office.

The practical impact of the new rules has not yet become clear, despite the media organizations’ pledge to continue covering American military affairs vigorously. And transparency.

Observers believe that the scenes of journalists leaving in protest will not affect supporters of US President Donald Trump, many of whom express their dissatisfaction with the media and praise the administration’s efforts to restrict its coverage.

Trump had fought legal battles last year against a number of major media organizations, including the New York Times, CBS News, and ABC. CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press.

At a White House press conference last Tuesday, Trump announced his full support for the new rules set by his defense secretary, stating that the press had become misleading and disruptive to world peace.

Before issuing the new policy, Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, took a He was strict towards the media, holding only two official press briefings since assuming office, preventing journalists and media reporters from entering large areas inside the Pentagon building without security escort, and opening internal investigations into repeated press leaks.

Hegseth justified his decisions as logical and aimed at regulating the relationship with the press, adding that the reporters’ signature on the document containing The rules mean their acknowledgment of them, not necessarily their approval of them.

Journalists believe that this distinction makes no practical difference, as it imposes direct restrictions on their work.

Retired General Jack Keane, a Fox News analyst and former US Army officer, said that the new procedures practically mean that the ministry wants to limit media coverage to official statements only, which cannot be considered work. A true journalist.

Kane explained that during his military service, he was keen to train new leaders to understand the role of the media in democratic systems, so that they would not view the press as an adversary, but rather as a means of communicating with the American public. He added that the press stories that worried him in the past were not due to the transgressions of media professionals, but rather because they revealed the shortcomings of performance within the military institution.

For her part, Nancy Youssef said that agreeing to rules that prevent journalists from requesting information from military officials practically means stopping practicing journalism. 

She stressed that the primary goal of their profession is to seek information to serve opinion. General.

Youssef and her colleagues confirmed that they will continue covering American military affairs from outside the Pentagon, despite the potential difficulties.

A number of reporters posted messages on social media sites while handing over their press cards. 

Heather Mongelio, USNI News correspondent specializing in naval affairs, wrote that she feels… She was proud despite her departure, stressing that journalistic work would continue from anywhere.

The journalists added that some military personnel were still communicating with them despite their fears of threats from the ministry’s leadership, while Tom Bowman, a correspondent for National Public Radio, explained that he was receiving information from inside the Pentagon and from his former colleagues in the army about what was actually going on, stressing that many realize that the American people deserve to know. The truth.

With journalists leaving, Pentagon leadership is likely to rely on short statements, social media posts, and carefully crafted videos, along with interviews with pro-government analysts and podcasters, raising concerns about declining transparency within the military.

Meanwhile, the 101-member Pentagon Press Association announced Representing 56 media outlets, they completely rejected the new rules. 

Media organizations from across the spectrum, from major corporations such as the Associated Press and the New York Times to conservative outlets such as Fox and Newsmax, also called on their reporters to leave the building rather than sign the new restrictions.

While the media outlet The only one that approved the program was the conservative One America News network, in a move that observers saw as an attempt by its administration to gain greater privileges in accessing US administration officials.

Gabrielle Coccia, a former Pentagon correspondent who was fired from the One America News network earlier this year after criticizing Hegseth’s media policies, said that the network chose to support the program out of the desire for closer relations with the Department of Defense. And the administration of US President Donald Trump.

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