The Pentagon announced tighter controls on media coverage Monday, closing its long-used Correspondents’ Corridor and saying all journalists will henceforth require escort by authorized personnel while on Pentagon property. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described the change as a response to “security risks” and said a new workspace will be set up in an annex facility outside the main building but still on Pentagon grounds.
The move comes days after a federal judge ruled that the department’s 2025 overhaul of press access was unconstitutional. That overhaul had revoked accreditations from several major outlets; The New York Times sued, and the court ordered the Pentagon to reinstate credentials for the Times’ Pentagon reporters. Parnell said the department “always complies with court orders” but plans to appeal the decision. He added that credentials would be reissued, though affected reporters would be confined to the annex for their work. He also said credential holders would retain access for scheduled press briefings, conferences, and interviews arranged through public affairs offices, stressing a balance between transparency and security.
Critics, including National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr., said the change will undermine independent reporting at a time when coverage of military developments is particularly consequential. The restrictions come nearly a month into the US-Israel conflict with Iran, a period many observers see as especially critical for defense reporting. The Pentagon Press Association called the announcement “a clear violation of the letter and spirit of last week’s ruling” and questioned why press freedoms would be curtailed during such a crucial moment.
In 2025 the department vacated dedicated office spaces used by eight media organizations—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC and NPR—and, critics say, made room for pro-administration outlets. Remaining outlets were required to be escorted beyond a limited area inside the building. Several organizations, among them The New York Times, Fox News, the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, declined to sign the new policy and lost Pentagon credentials as a result; the court ruling has ordered some of those credentials restored.
The Pentagon said it will comply with the court order while pursuing an appeal and implementing the new escort and annex arrangements.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery