The Defense Department has barred journalists from entering the Pentagon's press office after designating it a classified space, a move that marks the latest escalation in restrictions on media access to the building.
The crackdown began in September when the military required reporters to pledge they would not collect any information, including unclassified documents, without prior authorization or face losing their press credentials. In October, the department tightened restrictions further, prompting dozens of established news organizations to refuse compliance and surrender their passes.
Joel Valdez, the acting defense department press secretary, defended the redesignation by claiming it was necessary because "speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War" shared the facility. He asserted in a social media post that the military now operates "the most transparent war department in history" and accused mainstream media of spreading "spin" about the policy.
The department subsequently announced plans for what it called a "next generation of the Pentagon press corps" composed of 60 journalists from far-right outlets, effectively replacing the traditional press contingent that had covered the military for decades.
The New York Times challenged the policies in federal court, arguing that the defense department had branded journalists as "security risks" without justification. A federal judge sided with the newspaper in March, finding the restrictions unjustified.
Author James Rodriguez: "The irony is almost too much, calling yourself the most transparent while locking journalists out of the building, but this administration has clearly decided that transparency means controlling who gets to listen."
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