Defense Department Decrees Press Office Classified Space

Reporters' access to the Pentagon has become more limited still. The Defense Department has reclassified its press office as a secure intelligence facility and barred journalists from entering, cutting off a space that for years functioned as an informal hub for questions, chats with public affairs officers, and off-camera briefings. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said the move stems from relocating speechwriters—who handle classified material and need access to a secure network—to the office, the Washington Post reports. Journalists may now see officials there only "by appointment," he said.

At this point, journalists are mostly barred from the Defense Department, per the Hill. A legal and political fight over access is ongoing during the tenure of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose team also has ended the practice of unescorted movement through unclassified areas, with journalists and press freedom groups arguing the restrictions are First Amendment violations. A federal judge in March invalidated a Pentagon policy requiring journalists to pledge not to seek unauthorized information, in a case brought by the New York Times; the government is appealing. A second Times lawsuit challenges the escort requirement itself. Even if reporters ultimately win back broader access to the Pentagon, their direct contact with its spokespeople now faces a new barrier.