The Pentagon is clamping down on press access while simultaneously restricting where, when and how the military and civilian officials engage with the public.

Why it matters: It's a double whammy that could damage not only the public's understanding of national security matters and how taxpayer money is being spent, but also the department's own ability to drive narratives and wage information warfare. • This is the Pentagon's bunker mentality.

Driving the news: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a memo this month codified changes to how DOD handles "external engagements," noting that past participation in conferences and interviews "tended to canalize toward certain types of institutions." • Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Axios the directive is the result of a process that k

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