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Following the Department of War’s recent overhaul of its media access policy, which sparked mainstream media outrage and walkouts, the agency announced this week that dozens of journalists have signed on to join the revitalized Pentagon press corps.
Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell said in a statement on Wednesday that the DOW was “excited to announce over 60 journalists” have signed the new media access policy and will therefore be joining the new Pentagon press corps.
“Twenty-six journalists across 18 outlets were among the former Pentagon press corps who chose to sign the DOW media access policy,” he said.
He explained, “New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people. Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.”
Last week, the department laid down new rules for members of the press who wish to cover the agency’s operations.
According to Axios, the new guidelines are fairly basic: press members must agree not to gather information that’s not yet approved for public release, they will have limited or no access to certain areas of the Pentagon building, members must be escorted movement to and from interviews and engagements, and obvious and visible press credentials must be worn at all times above the waist.
Among new media that signed the access policy and will be joining the press corps are several conservative and independent outlets like Turning Point USA (through its media company “Frontlines”), Gateway Pundit, Timcast, The National Pulse, LindellTV, Just the News, and Human Events, as reported by the Washington Post.
“Americans have largely abandoned digesting their news through the lens of activists who masquerade as journalists in the mainstream media,” said Parnell. “We look forward to beginning a fresh relationship with members of the new Pentagon press corps.”
