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News Corp’s The Australian has done a dramatic U-turn on its decision to sign up to the Pentagon’s new controversial press rules, which led every major news outlet, including Murdoch-owned Fox News, handing over their passes.
Just hours after The Australian was revealed to be one of just 11 global news outlets to have agreed to the new rules, a spokesperson told this masthead that it had “revoked our assent”, citing press freedom concerns.
Major news organisations packed up and left The Pentagon this week. The Australian had opted to retain its access, then ‘revoked’ the call.Credit: AP
“The Australian has reviewed the Pentagon’s new press rules and requirements. They raise serious concerns and place undue limits on press freedoms,” a spokesperson for The Australian said following questions from this masthead.
“Because of The Australian’s long-held position on independent journalism and press freedom, we have advised the Pentagon that we have revoked our assent.”
This masthead sent questions to The Australian’s Washington correspondent Joe Kelly about how the newspaper signed up to the Pentagon rules, but he did not respond. Nor did the paper’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn.
The decision to sign up to the rules was out of step with the vast majority of major news organisations, including fellow News Corp outlets, who have handed in their passes.
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The Australian was initially among global outlets including the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, newspaper Aksam and The Federalist, along with far-right publications One America News Network and The Epoch Times, to agree to the new rules put forward by the Pentagon.
The newly renamed US Department of War this week demanded reporters sign a new document that stipulates they cannot solicit information not explicitly authorised for release by the Pentagon, a move roundly criticised for its limitations on press freedom and potential for severe punishment of reporters.
This week, the major US television networks including Fox, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC released rare a joint statement, speaking against the new guidelines, noting their reporters would not be signing up.
“Today, we join virtually every other news organisation in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues,” they said.
The new policy threatens core journalist protections, the outlets said, calling the move by former Fox News host and now War Secretary Pete Hegseth “without precedent”.
Michelle Gunn, editor-in-chief of The Australian.
Hegseth, a former weekend TV host on Fox, was selected by President Donald Trump as defence secretary, with the department later rebranded as the Department of War.
Major news organisations including The New York Times, News Corp stablemate The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post also refused to sign up to the rules, as did the pro-Trump network Newsmax.
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