For days now, the Pentagon’s new press rules have been weighing heavily on me as a professional communicator.
You’re probably aware by now that under these new rules, journalists’ ability to independently solicit information is incredibly limited. Only a few outlets agreed to the Defense Department’s press rules – One America News, The Federalist and The Epoch Times. But many of the country’s most prominent news outlets – from CNN and The New York Times, to Fox News and Newsmax – refused to sign the new policy and therefore handed in their press credentials.
Let that sink in. These aren’t fringe publications. They aren’t even on just one side of the media bias chart. These are longstanding outlets that have, for decades, been held accountable by the American public to provide critical information about our country’s military activity.
The Pentagon may believe the new rules are a matter of “protecting national security.” But when the government decides the information that can and can’t be shared, that’s not security. That’s a direct threat to freedom of press and a violation of the first amendment.
As discussed in a TikTok video from CNN’s Jake Tapper, one of the most disturbing parts of the new policy redefines what it means to ask for information.
Page 4 says that “any solicitation of Department of War personnel to commit criminal acts would not be considered protected activity under the 1st Amendment.” Okay, fine. No one’s encouraging espionage, right?
But then, on page 10, “solicitation” is defined as any attempt to gather information, stating that, “Solicitation may include direct communications with specific DoW personnel or general appeals, such as public advertisements or calls for tips encouraging DoW employees to share non-public DoW information.” But “non-public” information doesn’t just mean classified data; it also includes “Controlled Unclassified Information” (CUI), or essentially anything the Pentagon simply doesn’t want discussed. CUI has no legal protection, however.
So, in practice, a journalist could be punished for… doing journalism. For asking questions. For holding power accountable.
In public relations, our work relies on trust. And we can’t build trust in a world where information is filtered through government approval first. Transparency is the oxygen of good communication.
The role of a free press isn’t to make power comfortable. It’s to make power answerable and accountable. That’s what journalists do. And it’s what we, as communicators, should stand behind. Because if the press loses its ability to question, the public loses its ability to trust.
This isn’t about politics. Transparency and truth aren’t partisan issues – they’re democratic ones. We’re talking about a $1 trillion agency funded by American tax dollars. The public has a right to know how those dollars are being spent.
As PR professionals, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our journalist peers. Because a free press isn’t just critical for journalism – it’s critical for the integrity of communications.