The Pentagon, the headquarters of the US military, announced new stringent restrictions for journalists on Monday. Under the new rules, accredited journalists will now have to work from an annex facility outside the main Pentagon building, though still on its grounds. Access inside the building will require pre-authorization and an escort by authorized personnel. The changes were attributed to "security risks" by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

This clampdown comes just days after a US court ruling. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Department of Defense's 2025 overhaul of press access, which included withdrawing accreditations from a host of prominent media outlets, was unconstitutional. The court, in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times, ordered the department to reinstate credentials for the Times' Pentagon reporters.

Parnell stated that the department "always complies with court orders" but will appeal Friday's ruling. He claimed that credential holders would continue to have access to the Pentagon for scheduled press briefings, conferences, and interviews arranged through public affairs offices. However, he defended the new measures that curtail independent reporting as a balance between "transparency and security."

Press organizations have sharply criticized the move. National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. said in a statement, "Closing the Correspondents' Corridor and forcing escorted access undermines independent reporting at the Pentagon at a moment when the public needs clear, unfiltered information about the US military." The Pentagon Press Association called the announcement "a clear violation of the letter and spirit of last week's ruling."

The restrictions are being implemented nearly a month into the US-Israel war with Iran—a critical time when defense reporters arguably need access to top brass. Additionally, in 2025, the Pentagon vacated dedicated office spaces for eight media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, allegedly to make room for Trump-friendly outlets. This policy led several remaining outlets, such as the Times, Fox News, Associated Press, and AFP, to decline the new rules and lose their Pentagon credentials as a result.

Source: www.dw.com