In contrast to efforts by President Donald Trump and senior officials to crack down on journalists and media outlets deemed to spread misinformation (“fake news”) when their reporting displeases the administration, a federal judge in the United States blocked the Pentagon’s new policy limiting press access. This led to the revocation of credentials for most major media outlets.
The Pentagon responded by imposing even stricter restrictions, announcing on Monday that it would close a designated press area known as the “correspondents’ corridor” and require journalists to be escorted by authorized personnel from the Department of Defense for any access to the Pentagon.
The Pentagon spokesperson, Sean Parnell, cited security risks to justify this change and also stated that the Pentagon would appeal the court’s decision.
“With immediate effect, the correspondents’ corridor is closed,” wrote Parnell on X. He specified that a new workspace for the press would be established “in an annex outside the main Pentagon building, but still on the Pentagon grounds.”
The National Press Club in Washington stated that this new policy hindered journalists in carrying out their work.
“The closure of the correspondents’ corridor and the requirement for escorted access undermine independent journalism at the Pentagon, at a time when the public needs clear and unfiltered information about the U.S. military,” said Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, in a statement.
Last fall, media outlets accredited to the Pentagon were asked to comply with new restrictive regulations. Most refused and subsequently lost their access.
Previously, the Pentagon had required journalists to be escorted within the building outside designated areas, displaced some media outlets from their permanent offices, and significantly reduced press conferences.
Context: This article discusses the Pentagon’s new policy restricting press access and the backlash it has received from journalists and media outlets. Fact Check: The information in this article is accurate regarding the Pentagon’s actions towards the press.
