US’ defence department, also called the Pentagon, tightened access for journalists as it redesignated its press office as a ‘classified facility’ and barred members of the media from entering the space.
The move marks another step in a series of restrictions that have altered how journalists operate inside the Pentagon, where reporters historically enjoyed broad access to officials and workspaces while covering defence and national security matters.
Pentagon press office declared classified space
The change was confirmed by acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez, who said the decision was stemmed from operational requirements rather than an attempt to restrict media activity.
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On X, Valdez wrote, “The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility.”
He further explained the rationale behind the redesignation, saying: “These speechwriters routinely handle classified material … as a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There’s nothing controversial about that.”
The decision comes amid continuing friction between the media and the second Trump administration over press access and reporting conditions, according to The Washington Post.
Long-running dispute over media access
The latest restriction follows a series of changes that have reshaped how reporters work inside the Pentagon.
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For years, accredited Pentagon correspondents were able to move extensively within the building while carrying out their reporting duties and engaging with defence officials, news agency AP reported.
The arrangement changed significantly last October when most news organisations surrendered their access badges and left the Pentagon rather than accept new restrictions imposed by the government.
The disagreement has increasingly moved into the legal arena, with news organisations challenging several of the administration’s access policies in court.
On May 18, The New York Times filed its second lawsuit against the Defense Department within five months, arguing that the Pentagon’s requirement that journalists be accompanied by escorts violates constitutional protections for the press.
The newspaper said the escort requirement infringes upon the First Amendment and amounts to “an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to prevent independent reporting on military affairs.”
The latest legal challenge followed an earlier lawsuit filed in December against rules introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The newspaper said the new case sought to challenge an interim policy “that the Pentagon hastily put into place after a federal judge ruled in The Times’s favor in its original lawsuit.”
Among the measures included in the interim policy was a requirement that journalists be accompanied by escorts at all times while inside the Pentagon.
Battle continues
The escort policy was introduced in March after US District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman struck down an earlier set of restrictions.
The legal dispute, however, did not end there. In April, Friedman ruled that the interim policy violated his March order. Despite that finding, the escort requirement remained in force after an appeals court temporarily stayed part of the judge’s ruling while the government pursued an appeal.
The appeals process remains ongoing, leaving unresolved a broader battle over media access at one of the most closely watched institutions in the United States government.