Pentagon Curates Press Corps, Undermining Investigative Journalism - Episode Hero Image

Pentagon Curates Press Corps, Undermining Investigative Journalism

On the Media · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title: Covering the Pentagon, from Sy Hersh to Laura Loomer

TL;DR

  • The Pentagon's new press policy, which restricts reporting and seeks to repeal free press rights, is a direct response to a year of critical reporting on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's missteps, including alleged war crimes.
  • The replacement of experienced Pentagon press corps with right-wing influencers who signed restrictive agreements signifies a shift from investigative journalism to curated access, potentially limiting public oversight.
  • Journalists signing agreements not to solicit information, even unclassified, risks arbitrary application and threatens sources, fundamentally altering the news-gathering process and investigative journalism's core function.
  • The Pentagon's physical access restrictions for journalists have significantly decreased, from 70% of the footprint to 5-10%, limiting their ability to build relationships and uncover information beyond official channels.
  • Investigative journalists like Seymour Hersh faced significant pushback and scrutiny for challenging government narratives, highlighting the persistent tension between exposing truth and maintaining institutional power.
  • The erosion of trust in media stems from the public's perception of being lied to by both government and press, exacerbated by outlets agreeing to restrictive policies that limit their adversarial role.
  • The new Pentagon press corps, composed of individuals with brands built on conspiracy theories, agreeing to rules limiting investigative work creates a conflict with their audience's expectations of challenging government narratives.

Deep Dive

The Pentagon's approach to press access and the nature of its new press corps represent a fundamental shift from traditional investigative journalism to a controlled information environment, directly impacting the public's understanding of defense policy and operations. This strategic reorientation, marked by restricted physical access, a new cadre of compliant influencers, and a climate of suspicion toward independent reporting, aims to manage public perception by limiting the discovery and dissemination of inconvenient truths.

The core of this shift lies in the Pentagon's deliberate creation of an information ecosystem that prioritizes access for ideologically aligned voices over the pursuit of verifiable facts. By revoking desks and access from established news organizations like the Washington Post and replacing them with individuals and outlets known for their partisanship and willingness to sign restrictive agreements, the Pentagon is effectively curating its press corps. This new group, exemplified by figures like Laura Loomer and Tim Pool, has explicitly signaled a departure from investigative journalism, with some stating they are "not investigative reporters." This signals a move away from holding power accountable and toward serving as conduits for the Pentagon's preferred narratives. The implications are profound: the public is likely to receive a filtered and less critical view of defense spending, military actions, and policy decisions, eroding the essential function of a free press in a democratic society.

Furthermore, the Pentagon's new policies, particularly the agreement requiring journalists not to solicit "defense information" from unauthorized personnel, fundamentally alter the nature of news gathering. This broad definition of restricted information, coupled with the threat of losing access for any perceived violation, effectively discourages the development of sources and the uncovering of potentially critical details. The historical model of investigative journalism, which relies on building relationships within institutions and uncovering information through persistent inquiry, is rendered nearly impossible under these new rules. This creates a chilling effect, ensuring that future reporting will likely be confined to official statements and carefully managed briefings, thereby insulating the Pentagon from meaningful scrutiny. The consequence is a public less informed about the operations of a trillion-dollar institution and more susceptible to official narratives, regardless of their factual basis.

The shift in the Pentagon press corps signifies a broader trend where access is exchanged for compliance, and investigative rigor is supplanted by ideological alignment. The previous era, characterized by journalists like Seymour Hersh who navigated Pentagon hallways to uncover critical truths, stands in stark contrast to the current environment. The new press corps, by agreeing to limitations that would have been anathema to Hersh, not only compromises their own journalistic integrity but also signals a weakening of institutional checks on government power. This transformation poses a direct threat to informed public discourse, as the mechanisms for holding the military accountable are systematically dismantled, leaving the public vulnerable to unchallenged government narratives and potentially enabling a repetition of past abuses of power.

Action Items

  • Audit Pentagon press access: Identify 3-5 specific restrictions imposed on journalists and their impact on investigative reporting capabilities.
  • Analyze new Pentagon press corps agreement: Evaluate 2-3 clauses for potential chilling effects on source development and information solicitation.
  • Track Pentagon press briefings: Monitor 5-10 questions from the new corps to assess adherence to investigative journalism principles versus advocacy.
  • Evaluate source protection practices: For 3-5 critical stories, document how journalists maintained source confidentiality amidst government pressure.
  • Measure media trust erosion: Correlate instances of government-media conflict with public trust metrics to understand impact on information dissemination.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"You sit in your air conditioned offices or up on capitol hill and you nitpick and you plant fake stories in the Washington Post about kill everybody from WNYC in New York."

This quote, attributed to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, expresses frustration with journalists. Hegseth criticizes reporters for being detached from reality and fabricating stories, suggesting they are more interested in nitpicking and spreading misinformation than in reporting truthfully.

"The lawsuit seeks to repeal the new press policy with the New York Times calling it a violation of free press's right to seek confirmation under their First and Fifth Amendment rights."

This statement from the transcript highlights a legal challenge by the New York Times against a new Pentagon press policy. The Times argues that this policy infringes upon the fundamental rights of the press to investigate and verify information, as protected by the U.S. Constitution.

"Even if the U.S. were at war with the traffickers, an order to kill all the boat's occupants if they were no longer able to fight would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime."

This quote, an analysis from former military lawyer Todd Huntley, addresses the legality of a "second strike" order on a vessel. Huntley explains that such an order, if it involved killing survivors no longer capable of fighting, could constitute a war crime under the rules of armed conflict.

"The primary role is to be the conduit between the United States government the military portion of the government specifically and the American people also of course to push the government on hard issues especially when they might be misstepping."

Cam Higby, a correspondent for Fearless Media, defines the role of the Pentagon press corps in this statement. Higby emphasizes that their function is to serve as a link between the military and the public, and to hold the government accountable by questioning them on difficult issues.

"The more that we know, the more of a failure we know it to be because the CIA knew the hijackers entered the country and didn't inform the FBI but then the lead up to the Iraq War and I think that that just really set Sy off because he knew very well that there was no connection between the 9/11 attacks and Iraq."

Laura Poitras explains Seymour Hersh's motivation for investigating the lead-up to the Iraq War. Poitras suggests that Hersh was particularly driven by the revelation that intelligence agencies had knowledge of the 9/11 hijackers entering the country but failed to share this information, and that this knowledge was then used to justify the invasion of Iraq, a connection Hersh found baseless.

"It's the job of journalists to be adversarial and to report the facts as they see them regardless of the consequences without fear or favor but we're seeing in Gaza I mean how can we look at a population that's being starved and civilians being bombed for two years and not call it a genocide."

This quote from Laura Poitras underscores the adversarial role of journalists. Poitras argues that journalists must report facts without bias or fear of reprisal, using the situation in Gaza as an example to illustrate the importance of using precise language, such as "genocide," to describe events accurately, even when it is difficult.

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Cover Up" by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus - Mentioned as a forthcoming Netflix documentary about Seymour Hersh.

Articles & Papers

  • "Abu Ghraib prison and torture" (The New Yorker) - Discussed as Seymour Hersh's reporting that uncovered the Taguba Report and helped redefine the Iraq War.
  • "The Pentagon Papers" (The New York Times) - Referenced as an example of classified information that was published.
  • "Syria" (London Review of Books) - Mentioned as a piece by Seymour Hersh that scrutinized the Obama administration's narrative on chemical weapons attacks, which Hersh later admitted to misjudging.
  • "Nord Stream pipeline sabotage" (Substack) - Discussed as Seymour Hersh's 2023 report alleging CIA collaboration with Norway to blow up the pipeline, based on a single source.

People

  • Seymour Hersh - Investigative journalist whose career and methods are the subject of a new documentary, known for exposing government cover-ups.
  • Laura Poitras - Award-winning journalist and filmmaker, co-director of the documentary "Cover Up" about Seymour Hersh.
  • Mark Obenhaus - Co-director of the documentary "Cover Up" about Seymour Hersh.
  • Edward Snowden - Mentioned in relation to Laura Poitras's work on NSA surveillance.
  • Joseph Darby - Whistleblower who provided photos of torture at Abu Ghraib to Seymour Hersh.
  • Calley - Mentioned as the name of an individual court-martialed, leading to Seymour Hersh's reporting on the My Lai Massacre.
  • Westmoreland - Mentioned as the then-running commander in Vietnam who needed body counts, contributing to the My Lai Massacre.
  • Henry Kissinger - Former National Security Advisor who took notice of Seymour Hersh's reporting.
  • Abe Rosenthal - Executive editor of The New York Times during Seymour Hersh's tenure.
  • Jeff Gerth - Partnered with Seymour Hersh on reporting about Gulf and Western.
  • Bashar al-Assad - President of Syria, whose alleged use of chemical weapons was scrutinized by Seymour Hersh.
  • Candace Owens - Mentioned in relation to a question about a French foreign military plot to assassinate her.
  • Matt Gaetz - Former member of Congress who asked a question about the Department of War's role in a post-Maduro Venezuela.
  • Laura Loomer - Far-right activist who asked about the U.S. selling F-15 jets to Qatar while considering designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
  • James O'Keefe - Founder of Project Veritas, who asked about identifying personnel in a "self-described resistance movement" within the Pentagon.
  • Nicholas Maduro - Mentioned in a question about the Department of War's role in a post-Maduro Venezuela.
  • Nicholas Turza - Pentagon branch chief questioned by James O'Keefe.
  • Wade Searle - Reporter for LifeSiteNews who asked about potential legal action against The Washington Post.
  • Kingsley Wilson - Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary who fielded questions from the new Pentagon press corps.
  • Steve Cortez - Father of Kingsley Wilson.
  • Leo Frank - Jewish man whose 1915 lynching was referenced in relation to Kingsley Wilson's past tweets.
  • Cam Higby - Pentagon correspondent with Fearless Media, who discussed the job of the Pentagon press corps and his new role.
  • Charlie Kirk - Mentioned as a style of debate for Cam Higby.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Pentagon - Primary subject of discussion regarding press access and reporting.
  • WNYC - The radio station producing "On the Media."
  • ATT - Sponsor of WNYC.
  • Apple TV - Sponsor of WNYC.
  • USA for UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) - Sponsor of WNYC.
  • The Washington Post - Mentioned for its reporting on Pentagon strikes and its former desk at the Pentagon.
  • Fox News - Mentioned in relation to Andrew Napolitano.
  • Newsmax - Mentioned in relation to Andrew Napolitano.
  • The New York Times - Mentioned for suing the Pentagon and its historical reporting.
  • Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Mentioned as a data source for player grading in a previous context.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned as the primary subject of sports discussion in a previous context.
  • New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis in a previous context.
  • Project Veritas - Organization founded by James O'Keefe.
  • O'Keefe Media Group - New outlet founded by James O'Keefe.
  • Dominion Voting Systems - Mentioned in relation to Mike Lindell's lawsuit.
  • Lindell TV - Outlet owned by Mike Lindell.
  • Gateway Pundit - Far-right conspiracy outlet.
  • Mother Jones - Publication where Anna Merlan is a senior reporter.
  • LifeSiteNews - Canadian far-right Catholic advocacy outlet.
  • Fearless Media - Independent outlet represented by Cam Higby.
  • Associated Press (AP) - Former employer of Seymour Hersh.
  • The New Yorker - Publication where Seymour Hersh reported on Abu Ghraib.
  • 60 Minutes - Mentioned for receiving pressure from the government not to publish a story on torture.
  • CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) - Mentioned in relation to the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage and intelligence sharing.
  • FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) - Mentioned in relation to intelligence sharing and Seymour Hersh's notebooks.
  • NSA (National Security Agency) - Mentioned in relation to Edward Snowden and Laura Poitras's work.
  • The London Review of Books - Publication of Seymour Hersh's 2013 piece on Syria.
  • The White House - Mentioned in relation to President Trump and press access.
  • The State Department - Mentioned in relation to The New York Times suing for records.
  • The European Union (EU) - Recipient of gas via the Nord Stream pipeline.
  • The Muslim Brotherhood - Mentioned in relation to a potential U.S. designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
  • Qatar - Mentioned in relation to potential F-15 jet sales.
  • The White House Tapes - Mentioned in relation to President Nixon's comments about Seymour Hersh.
  • The CIA - Mentioned in relation to intelligence sharing and the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
  • The U.S. Military - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The Department of Defense (DoD) - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The U.S. Government - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The Trump Administration - Subject of scrutiny and defense by new Pentagon press corps members.
  • The Biden Administration - Mentioned in relation to The New York Times suing for records.
  • The Obama Administration - Mentioned in relation to Seymour Hersh's reporting on Syria.
  • The Bush Administration - Mentioned in relation to the Iraq War and 9/11.
  • The United Nations - Mentioned in relation to UNHCR.
  • The European Union (EU) - Recipient of gas via the Nord Stream pipeline.
  • The Muslim Brotherhood - Mentioned in relation to a potential U.S. designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
  • Qatar - Mentioned in relation to potential F-15 jet sales.
  • The White House Tapes - Mentioned in relation to President Nixon's comments about Seymour Hersh.
  • The CIA - Mentioned in relation to intelligence sharing and the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
  • The U.S. Military - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The Department of Defense (DoD) - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The U.S. Government - Subject of reporting by the new Pentagon press corps.
  • The Trump Administration - Subject of scrutiny and defense by new Pentagon press corps members.
  • The Biden Administration - Mentioned in relation to The New York Times suing for records.
  • The Obama Administration - Mentioned in relation to Seymour Hersh's reporting on Syria.
  • The Bush Administration - Mentioned in relation to the Iraq War and 9/11.
  • The United Nations - Mentioned in relation to UNHCR.

Websites & Online Resources

  • Substack - Platform where Seymour Hersh published his Nord Stream pipeline report.
  • Apple Podcasts - Platform to listen to the podcast "Adrift."
  • unrefugees.org - Website for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
  • rippling.com/wnyc - Website for Rippling, a unified platform for HR, payroll, IT, and finance.
  • questioneverythingpodcast.com - Website for the podcast "Question Everything."
  • ksrw.org - Website for KCRW, where "Question Everything" airs.
  • motherjones.com - Website for Mother Jones.
  • tiktok.com - Platform where Cam Higby posts videos.
  • instagram.com - Platform where Cam Higby posts videos.
  • cspan.org - Mentioned in relation to Seymour Hersh receiving callers.
  • twitter.com (X) - Platform where Cam Higby posted about the Pentagon agreement.

Podcasts & Audio

  • On the Media - The podcast where this episode aired.
  • Adrift (Apple Original Podcast) - Hosted by Becky Milligan, about the Robertson family's survival after their boat was hit by killer whales.
  • Question Everything - Podcast hosted by Senator Lindsey Graham.
  • S-Town - Podcast created by Brian Reed.

Other Resources

  • Pentagon Press Corps - Discussed in relation to new restrictions and a new group of influencers replacing traditional journalists.
  • My Lai Massacre - A massacre of civilians in Vietnam exposed by Seymour Hersh.
  • Watergate Scandal - A political scandal investigated by Seymour Hersh.
  • CIA Operation Spying on College Students - An operation covered by Seymour Hersh.
  • Abu Ghraib Prison Torture - A system of torture uncovered by Seymour Hersh.
  • Taguba Report - A report investigating torture at Abu Ghraib.
  • The Great Replacement - An far-right conspiracy theory mentioned in relation to Kingsley Wilson's tweets.
  • War Crime - Discussed in relation to the second strike on drug trafficking boats and the My Lai Massacre.
  • First Amendment Rights - Mentioned in relation to The New York Times' lawsuit against the Pentagon.
  • Fifth Amendment Rights - Mentioned in relation to The New York Times' lawsuit against the Pentagon.
  • Body Counts - Mentioned in relation to the Vietnam War and the My Lai Massacre.
  • Enhanced Interrogation Techniques - Mentioned as a euphemism for torture used by legacy institutions.
  • Genocide - Mentioned in

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