EDITORIAL: The Department of War’s media guidelines are common sense, and we are signing them

We are honored to join the Pentagon’s newer, and better, press corps.

For weeks, we read breathless stories on how the Department of War’s new media guidelines represent a “threat to democracy” and are a “clampdown on the First Amendment.” At the Washington Reporter, we were concerned — until we actually read the guidelines. Then we realized that the guidelines are common sense and the media freakout is another example of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Our only concern is that the Department of War has waited until October to implement these new changes.

We support these guidelines as sound policy. We have signed them. And we are grateful for Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership and his remarkable track record of success.

Let’s be clear: the Department of War is not obligated to subsidize reporting that could undermine our national security. The idea that the Huffington Post or other left-wing outlets are entitled to report damaging information about our national security while wandering around the Pentagon is preposterous. Private citizens aren’t permitted to tour the Pentagon as though it were a public museum — why should far-left journalists be permitted full access, if they won’t commit to basic precautions?

Let us be clear: we are not capitulating. Our reporting will remain as tough and objective as ever. But the guidelines are only “capitulation” to someone who is, frankly, deranged. What are we signing up for? Things like wearing identification badges, prohibiting the inducement of classified disclosures, and not accessing certain areas of the building. God forbid!

At the heart of this stands Secretary Hegseth, whose tenure has been nothing short of transformative. He has solved the terrible Biden recruiting crisis that was a ticking time bomb for our national security. Secretary Hegseth has boosted active-duty numbers by 15 percent in less than a year. Americans are excited to serve again because they see real leadership; not the dog-costumed leadership running DOD under President Joe Biden.

Even more than his recruiting success, just look at Secretary Hegseth’s leadership in the precision strikes against Iranian nuclear sites last spring. Executed with flawless coordination, these operations exemplified Hegseth’s strategic acumen. We heard for weeks that if President Donald Trump took action against Iran’s nuclear program, we would get World War III or worse. The world would end, they screeched, if President Trump stood with our ally Israel against the bloodthirsty Iranian terrorists. Of course, none of that happened, in large part because of Secretary Hegseth’s perfect execution.

The Washington Reporter and every American should be profoundly thankful for the Department of War’s steady hand under Hegseth. His leadership has not only fortified our military but also restored public trust in its mission. These media guidelines, far from stifling discourse, enable responsible journalism by fostering mutual respect between the press and the Pentagon. We are grateful for a Department that prioritizes security without compromising access, ensuring reporters can inform the public while safeguarding the nation.

We unequivocally condemn the left-wing hacks who’ve inflated these guidelines into a manufactured crisis. Their sanctimonious posturing reveals more about them than the policies they defame.. The Washington Reporter calls on our peers, especially from outlets with less reach than ours like the Washington Post, to reject this performative outrage, embrace the guidelines and embrace common sense.

At the end of the day, we are comfortable signing these policies in part because of who is opposed to them. Precisely the same outlets and so-called journalists who are concerned about these common sense measures turned a blind eye to the Biden administration’s deadly and avoidable failures in Afghanistan, and let then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vanish on the job for weeks on end!

Whatever will the American people do without such invaluable coverage? Well, now we will find out.

It’s common parlance to note that you’re only taking flak if you’re over the target, and in more ways than we can count, Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Department of War has been over the target. Whether it’s wiping out Iranian nuclear facilities, taking out Venezuelan drug boats, or freaking out the D.C. press corps, the Department of War has been precisely what Americans need it to be.

We are honored to join the Pentagon’s newer, and better, press corps.