If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting. Independent reporting on the military is essential to democracy. This pledge undermines that principle, and the National Press Club calls on the Pentagon to rescind it immediately. https://t.co/XchpQqnC8s — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 20, 2025Individual journalists, including veteran reporters who have covered the Pentagon for years or decades, also chimed in. Konstantin Toropin, the Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press, expressed alarm and dismay at the new restrictions.