1A 'If You Can Keep It': The Pentagon And The Press
4 snips
Dec 15, 2025 
Nancy Youssef, a national security writer for The Atlantic, Phil Stewart, a Reuters correspondent specializing in military affairs, and Colonel David LaPan, a former Pentagon spokesman, delve into the challenges facing press freedom at the Pentagon. They discuss new restrictive policies, the departure of major media outlets, and the implications of a predominantly right-wing press corps. The conversation highlights the chilling effect on accountability, the importance of independent reporting, and the potential erosion of trust in military narratives.
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New Rules Threatened Basic Reporting
- The Pentagon's new 21-page rules would bar publishing information the department deems unauthorized and could label unclassified reporting as a national security threat.
- Nancy Youssef says that threatened journalists' ability to inform the public and prompted nearly unanimous refusal to sign the rules.
Policy Language Carried Legal Risks
- Phil Stewart emphasizes that journalists must not regurgitate spokespeople's talking points or become state-run media.
- He warns policy language about solicitation of unauthorized information raised risks of criminal prosecution for reporters.
Badges Confiscated On Eviction Day
- Phil Stewart recounts that reporters' Pentagon badges were confiscated and there was no real choice but to leave the building.
- A private, regretful outreach from a four-star general underscored the chilling effect on internal sources.
