Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon.
Fox signed on to a statement with ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN saying they would not agree to Hegseth's new rules, saying “the policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections.” So far, only the conservative One America News Network has said its reporters would follow the new regulations.
Hegseth has said that outlets who don't agree to the new rules by the end of Tuesday, which restrict reporting on news not specifically approved by his team, will be evicted from the Pentagon on Wednesday.
The Associated Press also says it will not agree to the rules.
Professor Jane E. Kirtley is Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota and called the new restrictions an 'abomination.'
"The Washington Post had a story today about how one of Hegseth's personal lawyers slash fixer was basically behind all this," said Kirtley. "I don't know whether that's true or not, but although the Pentagon claims that whoever drafted them has a good knowledge of the First Amendment. I would say if they do, they're using it for evil purposes."
The Pentagon has said the rules establish “common sense media procedures” and want news outlets to sign a statement acknowledging them, even if they don't agree with them. The news outlets have said that they are concerned, however, that their reporters will be subject to expulsion if they simply try to report news not approved by Hegseth.
"But the other thing in the directive or whatever they call it, is that they're saying if you're not a good little journalist who follows these rules, of course you can go out and report on whatever you want, but if you're not following the rules, we will not renew your press pass or we won't maintain it or whatever the case may be," Kirtley explains. "So there's clearly provisions here that are intended to chill journalists' ability to do their jobs, which is to ask questions."
The Pentagon’s new press policy undermines the First Amendment and AP’s core values as an independent global news organization," the AP said in its statement. “The restrictions impede the public’s access to information about their government and limit the people’s right to know. AP remains focused on continuing to produce strong independent coverage of the Pentagon in the public interest.”
The New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, NPR and The Atlantic are among the other news outlets saying they won't sign onto the new rules. Another conservative television network, Newsmax, has also rejected them.
OANN, through its founder Charles Herring, said that it has signed the document after a thorough review by its attorney.
"I think this is one of the first times in my history of covering this kind of topic that I've seen the media act with such solidarity," noted Kirtley. "Just about everybody has refused to sign this document, and that kind of solidarity is key in fighting back against these kinds of restrictions as we've seen before, so, I think that is notable, and it should be noted that among those who refuse to sign is Fox."
The rejection by Fox, by far the most popular television outlet for fans of President Donald Trump, is a significant step. Hegseth worked as a weekend host at Fox before Trump selected him as his defense secretary. He’s one of several familiar Fox faces now working for Trump, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
The news organizations who have rejected the rules all say they will continue covering the U.S. military, even without being permitted on the Pentagon grounds. Barring a change from either side, the case looks to be headed for court.
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents dozens of reporters at the Pentagon, has said it wonders why it is even necessary for the Pentagon to proceed in this manner.
“Our members did nothing to create this disturbing situation,” the reporters' group said in a statement Monday. “It arises from an entirely one-sided move by Pentagon officials apparently intent upon cutting the American public off from information they do not control and pre-approve.”
Since taking over at the Defense Department, Hegseth and his team have rarely conducted press briefings. They have moved to restrict the number of places reporters could go in the Pentagon without an official escort, and removed some reporters from long-established working spaces in the building.
Trump has fought news organization on several fronts in the past year. He has filed lawsuits against ABC News, CBS News, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, moved to choke off funding for government-funded news services like the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and is engaged in a court fight with the AP over access to presidential events.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.