A national security reporter has resigned from the Epoch Times after the publication agreed to new Pentagon rules that restrict press activity inside the building. Andrew Thornebrooke, who frequently covered the Defense Department despite not holding an active Pentagon press pass, submitted his resignation in protest, calling the outlet's decision an abdication of journalistic responsibility and a capitulation to state narratives. In his resignation email, obtained by the New York Times, Thornebrooke criticized the Epoch Times not only for signing the Pentagon pledge but also for what he described as an increasing willingness to promote partisan material and publish false information.
Thornebrooke cited a recent editorial directive requiring reporters to refer to antifa as a terrorist organization, as President Trump's executive order states—even though no such designation exists under US law—as evidence of the paper's shift toward overt partisanship. Thornebrooke accused the Epoch Times of manipulating reporting to favor the Trump administration while limiting input from reporters on major editorial decisions. The Epoch Times, closely linked to the Falun Gong religious movement and known for its support of Trump and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, was one of only three US outlets to sign the Pentagon's 21-page pledge. Aside from some freelancers and independent journalists, the only other signatories were One America News Network and the Federalist.
Most major news organizations refused to sign, arguing the rules threaten First Amendment rights and limit the public's access to information, resulting in journalists surrendering their Pentagon credentials. The new Pentagon rules restrict the areas where journalists can go without an escort and threaten the loss of credentials for soliciting leaks—provisions media lawyers warn could hamper standard reporting practices. Pentagon officials, meanwhile, have defended the rules as common sense. Epoch Times editors echoed that, telling staff the new guidelines are not an impediment to reporting. The paper has several other reporters dedicated to national security issues, one of whom holds a Pentagon press pass.