Pentagon bans journalists from press office, designating it a classified space
The change, driven partly by classified material concerns, will force reporters to seek appointments and limit routine contact with Pentagon spokespeople.
- On Monday, the Defense Department barred reporters from its press office, designating it a classified space as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push to "sharply curtailed access for the media."
- Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez stated the move was necessary because speechwriters in the office "routinely handle classified material." The office will be equipped with the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network .
- These restrictions follow a pattern: the Pentagon removed mainstream outlets last year and replaced them with right-leaning outlets like Breitbart; it also previously required reporters to sign pledges forbidding photography or sketching inside the building.
- Reporters now face increased difficulty interacting with Pentagon spokespeople, as the previously open room where officials met with the press is no longer accessible without an appointment.
- The New York Times sued the Defense Department in late 2025 over these policies, and a federal judge has twice rejected the Pentagon's press guidelines, ruling they violated the First Amendment.
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74 Articles
Pentagon Designates Press Room as Classified Space
The Pentagon Press Office has been designated a classified space in the complex, with journalists being evicted from the area to make room for a new classified speechwriter area. “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,” Joel Valdez, a spokesperson for the War Department, announced in a post on X on June 1.…
The Pentagon designates its press office 'classified space' — making it off limits to journalists
In another of a series of moves restricting media access at the Pentagon, the U.S. Defence Department has declared that its press office is now a classified space — and therefore inaccessible to journalists.
Pentagon Bars Journalists From Its Press Office. Here's Why
On X, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move, saying there was "nothing controversial" about it and that it came because speechwriters, who use classified material, were now occupying the space.
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