Retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane sharply criticized a new Pentagon policy that limits journalists’ ability to report on unauthorized material and requires escorts in certain areas.
Speaking on Fox News’s “Special Report”, Keane argued the policy stifles true journalism. “They want to spoon-feed information to journalists, and that becomes the story. That’s not journalism. Journalism is going out, finding the story, and getting the facts to support it,” he told host Bret Baier.
Keane, former vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army, recounted how journalists pursued legitimate stories during his tenure, noting, “No one’s banging on a four-star general’s door, but they were chasing stories about what was happening in the Army.”
He emphasized that news reports serve as a vital “conduit to the American people,” even when stories exposed military shortcomings, which he admitted could sting but were often warranted.
Retired General Jack Keane on FOX: What they're really doing (at the Pentagon), they wanna spoon-feed info to the journalists and that will be their story...
— Chip Drink (@thejonacosta) October 15, 2025
No one's gonna walk in and bang on a door of a 4-star general, or senior civilian policy leader in the Pentagon... pic.twitter.com/qbD2ON1LEX
The policy, announced in September 2025 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, requires reporters to sign a pledge agreeing to Pentagon restrictions or risk losing their press badges. Hegseth called the measures “commonsense” to prevent journalists from soliciting classified information from soldiers.
However, the rules also bar reporting on unclassified information without Pentagon approval.
The Hill reports this marks a significant departure from past practices, when journalists had broader access to certain Pentagon areas. A joint statement from ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, and NBC News condemned the policy as “without precedent” and a threat to “core journalistic protections,” affirming their commitment to covering the military while upholding a free and independent press.