Pentagon Demands Journalists Sign Loyalty Oath, Cites 'Privilege'
News outlets are rightfully rejecting the Pentagon's latest attempt to gag the press, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declaring access a "privilege, not a right." This from the same government that routinely labels whistleblowers as traitors and pushes for expanded surveillance. The irony is as thick as the Pentagon's budget. It's almost comical that outlets like The Atlantic and The
Washington Post are now decrying restrictions when many of them routinely parrot official narratives on foreign policy, especially when it concerns conflicts abroad or certain well-funded lobbies. Where was this righteous indignation when journalists faced blackouts or outright censorship in Gaza, for instance? Or when reporting on US-backed interventions in Yemen or Iraq was whitewashed? The
supposed guardians of the First Amendment seem to find their voice only when the restrictions hit home, not when they're complicit in obscuring inconvenient truths that don't involve their own access. One might wonder if their commitment to press freedom extends beyond criticizing *this* administration's domestic media practices.