Correspondents from military-focused press outlets were reportedly blocked from embedding among U.S. troops deploying to Eastern Europe, prompting them to write a letter calling on the Pentagon to allow the practice.
"As a result, we call on the Pentagon to immediately begin the process of allowing journalists to embed with troops headed to Europe in response to Russian troop movements near Ukraine,"they added.
This letter comes after the Military Reporters and Editors Association released a statement addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin over the weekend stating: "The recent deployment of American forces to Europe provides an opportunity for the U.S. military to showcase how the men and women in uniform undertake the mission asked of them by the U.S. government and the nation. The Military Reporters & Editors Association is formally asking the Defense Department to allow journalists to embed with the U.S. troops that have been selected to deploy to NATO’s eastern flank."
According to CNN, a correspondent for the Military Times pushed Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on the issue during a press conference on Tuesday.
"The American public has an absolute right to know how and what its troops are doing and how taxpayer dollars are being spent,” the Military Times’ Howard Altman said. “Can you tell me when journalists will be allowed to embed with troops going over to Europe? And if not soon, who or what is holding that decision?"
Kirby responded that “the buck stops with” him since he is "responsible for decisions that are made about media access to our operations and to our people." He also said that the department is "working our way through what would be the appropriate level of media access here."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.