The US State Department has ordered its diplomatic missions to cancel subscriptions to major news outlets, prompting warnings from officials about risks to overseas operations.

A February 11 directive told embassies and consulates to “immediately place Stop Work Orders on all non-mission critical contracts/purchase orders for media subscriptions,” according to an internal memo seen by the Washington Post.

A second memo on February 14 prioritized cancellations of subscriptions to the Economist, New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, Associated Press, and Reuters.

Department officials said the cuts would impair embassy teams’ ability to assess security threats and plan travel in high-risk areas. Staff can appeal to maintain subscriptions with strong justification.

“This will endanger American lives overseas because we are being cut off from news sources that are needed on a daily basis,” a State Department employee told the Washington Post.

The directive affects hundreds of US diplomatic offices globally but exempts academic and professional journals. The State Department has not responded to requests for comment.

The restrictions target publications and news agencies that diplomats use to monitor international developments and manage crisis situations abroad.

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