After all of the major news outlets including ABC News, Fox News, The New York Times and Newsmax refused to agree to the new Pentagon media access policies issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, retired top officials in the U.S. military backed the media’s unwillingness to capitulate.
Among those voicing opposition to Hegseth’s media demands was retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane, who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during the first George W. Bush administration. Keane said of the Pentagon’s new policies, “What they’re really doing, they want to spoon feed to the journalists, and that will be their story. That’s not journalism.”
The opposition from traditional media and retired brass has been ignored by the Pentagon. This week, Sean Parnell, U.S. Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, announced on social media: “Today, the Department of War is announcing the next generation of the Pentagon press corps. We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be joining the new Pentagon press corps. Twenty-six journalists across 18 outlets were among the former Pentagon press corps who chose to sign the DOW media access policy.”
Today, the Department of War is announcing the next generation of the Pentagon press corps.
We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 22, 2025
CNN correspondent covering the Pentagon and national security Natasha Bertrand, who turned in her badge at the Pentagon last week, responded to Parnell’s announcement by writing: “This post doesn’t name them for some reason, but the ‘broad spectrum of new media outlets’ include: Gateway Pundit, TPUSA, and LindellTV, per their announcements.”
New York Times reporter Ken Bensinger added: “Replacing the NYT, WaPo, CBS, NBC, AP, Reuters & Fox News to cover the nation’s military: -Tim Pool -Gateway Pundit -Jack Posobiec -LindellTV -TPUSA Frontlines -The National Pulse -The Post Millennial -Washington Reporter -Red State -Real America’s Voice.”
Bensinger added, “This in addition to the outlets that previously had credentials and agreed to sign the restrictive pledge: -One America News Network -Epoch Times -The Federalist -Random freelancers for foreign outlets.”
CBS News national security editor Jim LaPorta, added: “One of these individuals once had their security clearance suspended as a Naval intelligence officer,” and provided a link to the 2017 NBC News article titled, ‘Right-Winger Jack Posobiec, Retweeted by Trump, Is Navy Intel Officer.’
Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post wrote with a call to action: “Still on the job, with or without Pentagon access. Tips still welcome on Signal at danlamothe.30”
Note: Members of the previously credentialled press corps aren’t just naming the new Hegesth approved members but also drawing attention to their work. The Economist‘s defense editor Shashank Joshi provided the sample below.
Here’s a sample piece of “journalism” from one of the “news” outlets that signed the DoD rules. Welcome to the new press corps. https://t.co/0eafzYKedI pic.twitter.com/IvKB5QyhxE
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) October 22, 2025