Pentagon Bars Journalists After Redesignating Press Office as Classified

The United States Department of Defense has redesignated its press office as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), effectively banning journalists from the workspace. Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez stated the move was necessary because speechwriters for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth now share the facility and require access to classified material and the SIPRNet intranet.

This restriction is the latest in a series of media curbs under Secretary Hegseth. Previous mandates included requiring journalists to be escorted at all times on Pentagon grounds and demanding they pledge not to seek unauthorized information. These policies led hundreds of reporters to surrender their credentials in October 2025 after outlets like The New York Times and CNN refused to sign the agreement.

Legal challenges continue as The New York Times has filed multiple lawsuits arguing the restrictions are unconstitutional. While U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman previously ruled that the escort policy violated his orders, an appellate court has allowed the restrictions to remain pending further proceedings.

The National Press Club and the nonprofit Military Reporters and Editors condemned the redesignation, arguing that classifying a public affairs office contradicts its purpose of informing the public. Secretary Hegseth has dismissed critics and characterized major media reporting on the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran as garbage.