Jonathan Turley Warns Pentagon Mandate Devastates Press Freedom

Pentagon's New Media Policy

• ⚠️ A new Pentagon media policy is causing significant backlash, with many journalists believing it will sharply restrict reporting.
• 📜 The policy requires that all Department of War information, even unclassified, must be approved for public release by an authorizing official.
• 🚨 Unauthorized disclosure of classified or controlled unclassified information is stated to pose a security risk and could endanger personnel.

Concerns Over Press Freedom

• 🏛️ Jonathan Turley describes the mandate as "breathtaking" and without precedent, stating it would devastate the Pentagon press corps.
• 📰 Historically, the Pentagon has allowed media to work with its representatives to ensure stories are accurate, a tradition this new policy breaks.
• 🗣️ Representative Don Bacon criticized the policy as "dumb" and likened it to a "Pravda newspaper," emphasizing the importance of a free press.

Interpretation and Impact

• ❓ The policy's vagueness, particularly regarding what constitutes a "risk," creates endless possibilities for interpretation.
• 📢 The inclusion of controlled unclassified information (CUI) means that publishing anything not in an official press release could lead to repercussions.
• 🤝 Turley notes that in the past, networks and newspapers have informally worked with the Pentagon to address security concerns without outright censorship, a stark contrast to the current mandate.