Pentagon reporters have now turned in their badges – but plan to keep reporting

Pentagon reporters who declined to sign a new set of policies that press advocates and news organizations denounced as incompatible with the tenets of journalism were set to return their press badges by 5pm on Wednesday, ending decades of history of robust in-house coverage at the world’s largest military headquarters.

In the hours leading up to the deadline, journalists worked furiously to pack up their workspaces in two media rooms, with hallways filled to the brim with boxes and books and other souvenirs of decades of daily coverage.

One veteran Pentagon correspondent – who was not authorized to comment on the record – spoke to the Guardian as they headed to the complex to collect their belongings. They said they normally take the subway to work but drove today “because we have so much crap that we need to take back”.

Those who raced to pack up their belongings also began thinking about how they would now cover the Pentagon without the direct access that many have relied upon for years.

Current and former Pentagon correspondents who spoke with the Guardian said that coverage would undoubtedly suffer from a lack of proximity to administration decision-makers – though many are intent on proving that the restrictions won’t stop the work, with some even saying they plan to take a more aggressive tack.

Under guidelines set by the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host who has regularly mocked the media, the Pentagon has gradually cut back on access for journalists, booting some television networks from their dedicated workspaces and shutting down the briefing room that many used as a workaround.

Forcing journalists to sign a lengthy set of new guidelines that put limits on their reporting activities was seen as the latest – but most significant – move in that direction. In particular, many journalists were unwilling to agree to strict rules on the “solicitation” of information from defense employees, with vague language guiding how exactly reporters would be able to get the material they needed to do their jobs.

Despite partisan divisions that often pit pundits on networks such as Fox News and CNN against each other, the country’s five major television networks all signed a joint statement on Tuesday pledging not to sign the agency’s new guidelines, which they said “threatens core journalistic principles”.

But the news organizations pledged: “We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”

The veteran Pentagon correspondent said they “believe that coverage is going to take a hit.

“In the short and medium term, it’s going to reduce the number of probing stories we would have done,” the person said. But, they added, “long term, I think we as reporters will figure out ways around it … I’m also sort of motivated as well, because once this happens it’s like, I’m going to go really hard now and try to prove that we can do our jobs without being there.”

In particular, reporters worry about the lag time in getting answers to questions about fast-moving developments. When urgent news from abroad comes in, reporters used to be able to race to the offices of press officials to quickly seek clarity and comment. Now, many will be forced to wait by their phone and email.

There are also concerns about Pentagon officials clamming up, considering that the new guidelines state specifically that military members “face potentially severe consequences for disclosing non-public information without proper authorization”, with “criminal liability” mentioned as a possible recourse.

“I do hope there are as many probing stories, but I think the chilling effect of Hegseth’s move isn’t just going to be limited to reporters, it’s going to have a chilling effect on officials as well,” the Pentagon correspondent said.

Another Pentagon correspondent, also speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment, agreed that “officials are going to be more reticent to talk” because of the guidelines.

“It certainly makes the job harder, and while I’d like to believe that my coverage of the military will still be robust going forward, I worry about stories that will be missed because there isn’t a regular presence and we are not able to have regular conversations with officials who have their pulse on what the military is doing,” the correspondent said.

A third Pentagon correspondent said they “will definitely be more aggressive going forward” in covering the agency, spending less time on stories the Hegseth administration wants the press to cover.

Some reporters are hopeful that they will still be able to enter the building by securing day passes for access. (Asked whether reporters who declined to sign the agreement will be eligible for day passes, a Pentagon spokesperson said: “We have nothing further to provide for you at the moment.”)

“I don’t think anybody has a hard and firm answer of what life looks like going forward,” the second Pentagon reporter said.

The Atlantic was one of the many news organizations (including the Guardian) that declined to sign the new protocols. Two Atlantic correspondents were slated to hand over their badges.

“I think having journalists in the building as representatives of the American public is important,” said Griff Witte, who oversees national security and defense coverage as the Atlantic’s managing editor. “There’s a basic level of accountability and transparency that is important for the public; it’s important for the press; and it’s important for the military. It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this point, but it’s not going to stop us from doing our work.”

Barbara Starr, who spent decades covering the Pentagon for CNN before retiring in 2022, said she expected that Hegseth would regret the loss of coverage that will come from the policy change. As of now, only the conservative One America News has explicitly said it will sign the agreement and remain in the building. (The conservative website the Federalist has also indicated it will sign, with editor Mollie Hemingway saying in a post on Twitter/X that the publication would cover the publication “both on-site and from a distance”.)

“The press corps will do everything it can to overcome all of this,” Starr said. “I think it’s going to fire up reporters to find ways and make sure they can still do their jobs, but it’s very sad business. The Pentagon press corps has traveled to every combat zone in the world. To be regarded as anything less than professional in their jobs is sad business.”