Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes questions from reporters during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Mar. 31, 2026 in Washington, D.C. The Pentagon this week barred journalists from its press office after redesignating the space as a “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.” (Alexander Kubitza/U.S. Navy)
The Defense Department’s press office at the Pentagon is now off-limits to the press, after the agency announced Monday that the space has been declared a classified area and that journalists would no longer be allowed entry to meet with public affairs officers.
In an X post stating that “this is the most transparent War Department in history,” acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said the press office has been redesignated as a “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility” due to the presence of speechwriters who routinely handle classified material and require access to the department’s secure communications network.
“As a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space,” Valdez said in the Monday post. “There’s nothing controversial about that.”
Access to the office of Sean Parnell, who serves as the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, and the department’s press secretary remains available by appointment only, Valdez added.
The Washington Post first reported the change, noting journalists for years have had access to the press office, where they have met face-to-face with public affairs officers to request information or ask questions.
Even before the announcement, most of the Pentagon had been off-limits to the media for the majority of the second Trump administration, amid ongoing litigation over other restrictions the agency has imposed on reporters covering the U.S. military.
In October, dozens of reporters refused to sign an agreement placing limits on how they could gather and publish certain information. They were subsequently denied credentials.
A wide range of journalism and press freedom organizations say the restrictions reduce transparency and hinder independent newsgathering. Defense officials say that the restrictions help stop the leaking of sensitive and classified information and are necessary for security and to maintain control over access to a sensitive military facility.
The New York Times in May sued the department for the second time in five months, arguing that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment and is “an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to prevent independent reporting on military affairs,” the Associated Press reported.
In March, the Defense Department closed a workspace inside the Pentagon traditionally used by reporters, announcing new space would be set up in an annex facility outside the building but still on Pentagon grounds.
