The Big Story

The Pentagon reporters have left the building

Pentagon beat reporters left the building en masse Wednesday after they turned in access badges rather than agree to new restrictions on how they gather and report the news while covering the U.S. military.

© AP Photo

All but one media outlet rejected the restrictive new press policy implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The new rules would have reporters pledge that they would not solicit any unauthorized material, even if the information is unclassified, or risk expulsion.

A majority of the reporters, including those from The Hill, waited to walk out of the building together shortly after 4 p.m. - an hour ahead of the deadline set by Hegseth's office to leave the premises. Roughly 40 journalists handed in their bad

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