Among the publications that refused to comply with the new requirements are mainstream and liberal Washington Post, Atlantic, New York Times, Guardian, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Reuters, Axios, Hill, Associated Press, as well as conservative Newsmax and Washington Times.
«We are categorically against the restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on journalists covering defense and national security issues, — said The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. — These requirements violate our First Amendment rights, as well as the rights of Americans who want to know how military resources and personnel funded by taxpayers are being used».
So far, only the conservative channel One America News Network has agreed.
As writes The New York Times, according to the new requirements, journalists will not be able to communicate with Department of Defense employees without prior approval. Press employees will also be prohibited from being in the Pentagon building without accompaniment, and they must sign confidentiality agreements obliging them not to publish unapproved information, even if it is not classified.
According to lawyers representing news agencies, the Pentagon document contains a number of requirements that contradict the protection of press freedom. One of them is a provision under which journalists can be deemed a «security threat» based on the fact that they disclosed classified or even non-classified information without Pentagon permission. Lawyers representing the media fear that this restriction could lead to the persecution of journalists for performing their usual duties.
Journalists who do not sign the new requirements will lose accreditation to work in the ministry.
The Pentagon Press Association, which includes more than 100 representatives from various publications, also condemned the new requirements: «This Wednesday, most members of the Association would rather lose accreditation than recognize a policy that restricts the freedom of speech of Pentagon employees and threatens reprisals against journalists seeking information not pre-approved for publication».