A judge ruled that the Pentagon’s recent restrictions on the press are unconstitutional. On this week’s On the Media, hear how Pete Hegseth’s ever-changing media policies have made it harder to cover military actions abroad. Plus, how a tenacious journalist used access to the Pentagon building to expose war crimes during the Vietnam War. 
[01:00] Host Micah Loewinger sits down with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/dan-lamothe/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dan Lamothe</a>, who covers the US military and Pentagon for the Washington Post, to talk about leaving the Pentagon press corps alongside reporters from major news outlets in October of last year, after refusing to sign onto stringent new rules on how they could do their reporting.  
[09:45] Micah talks with <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/author/anna-merlan/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Anna Merlan</a>, senior reporter at Mother Jones, on the cast of right wing influencers and conspiracists now staffing the Pentagon press corps. Plus, Micah interviews content creator Cam Higby, a member of the new press corps, about why he agreed to the Pentagon’s restrictions on access.
[33:23] Micah speaks with Laura Poitras, a journalist and filmmaker whose past works include CitizenFour, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and Risk, to discuss her latest documentary, Cover-Up, which chronicles the life of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh and his ferocious drive to uncover government wrongdoing, and what today’s press corps can learn from him.
 Further reading / watching:
<ul>
 <li>“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all</a>,” by Alex Horton and Ellen Nakashima</li>
 <li>“<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/04/signal-pete-hegseth-inspector-general/" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Signalgate’ report contradicts Hegseth’s claim of ‘total exoneration’</a>,”by Dan Lamothe</li>
 <li>“<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/pete-hegseth-pentagon-press-corps/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meet the New Pentagon Press Corps,</a>” by Anna Merlan</li>
 <li>Cover-Up, directed and produced by Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus</li>
</ul>
On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (<a href="https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm">https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm</a>). Follow our show on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/onthemedia/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/onthemedia">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OnTheMedia">Facebook</a> @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

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