The Pentagon announced Monday that reporters will no longer have open access to the War Department’s public affairs office after the space was redesignated as a classified facility to accommodate staff handling sensitive material. The decision marks the latest effort by the Pete Hegseth-led War Department to tighten operational security and reshape longstanding media access practices inside the Pentagon.
Under the new policy, the Pentagon’s public affairs office has been converted into a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). Previously, journalists were allowed entry without escorts and direct contact with military public affairs officials.
Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez stated that the change is necessary because speechwriters working in the office routinely handle classified material and require access to secure government systems. “This is the most transparent War Department in history. No amount of spin from the Fake News media will change that,” Valdez wrote on X.
He added, “These speechwriters routinely handle classified material and require SIPRNet access. As a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There’s nothing controversial about that.” Valdez noted reporters will still have scheduled appointments with the Pentagon press secretary and the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs.
The policy change follows months of additional restrictions imposed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth on media operations at the Pentagon. Last October, the department introduced rules allowing officials to revoke press credentials from reporters deemed security risks. The Pentagon has faced legal challenges over these measures, with lawsuits filed arguing they violate First Amendment protections.
