Pentagon's 'Press Pledge': Just 15 Reporters Left, Meet Your New State Media
The Pentagon, ever committed to transparent democracy (and unlimited defense budgets), now features a press corps of just 15 accredited reporters. The Independent notes the remaining few largely hail from 'pro-Trump outlets,' foreign publications, and 'obscure independent websites.' Conveniently absent from this purged press room are the critical voices, the ones who might, for instance, ask why
the military budget just hit $886 billion—twice what China spends—or what happened to those 'weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq. This isn't an anomaly; it's a feature. The military-industrial complex thrives on a compliant media. While major outlets like CNN and The New York Times withdrew over the 'pledge' dispute, it's worth remembering their historical role in amplifying war rhetoric, from
Vietnam to Iraq. The Pentagon likely views 15 pliable reporters as far more effective than 100 asking uncomfortable questions about, say, the billions in taxpayer dollars funneled to defense contractors.