By Alexandra Bruell
The Defense Department introduced new restrictions on press access on Monday, days after a federal judge ruled that key elements of the limits it introduced last year were unconstitutional.
In a Post on X on Monday evening, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department would close the correspondents' corridor immediately, moving credentialed journalists to a new workspace in an annex facility outside the Pentagon, "but still on Pentagon grounds." The new space will be "available when ready," he wrote.
Parnell also said all credentialed journalists would require authorized escorts in the building.
He said the Pentagon could no longer properly screen credential holders for security risks because of Friday's court ruling, and the new moves would allow it to balance transparency and staff security.
The New York Times sued the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Parnell late last year, saying policies the Pentagon had implemented in October chilled protected speech.
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled Friday that the Pentagon illegally restricted the press credentials of certain reporters and ordered that they be restored, and said parts of the policy violated the First and Fifth Amendment rights to free speech and due process.
The Defense Department said it plans to appeal the ruling.
The Trump administration has upended longstanding norms for relations with the media, including calling critical stories "fake news" and wresting control of the White House press pool from journalists.
Last year the Defense Department removed dedicated Pentagon office space for some outlets, including the Times, NBC News and the Hill, giving the spots instead to the New York Post, One America News Network, Breitbart News Network and others, in what they called a new rotation program.
The Pentagon then issued guidelines in October that stated military personnel needed approval before sharing information with the media, even if it wasn't classified. It said members of the media should be aware that agency "personnel may face adverse consequences for unauthorized disclosures," discouraging members of the press from soliciting such information.
Most major media outlets, including CNN, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, declined to sign and their reporters forfeited their press passes but continued to report on the Pentagon.
The Pentagon Press Association described Monday's changes as a "violation of the letter and spirit" of last week's ruling and said it is consulting with legal counsel.
A New York Times spokesman said the Pentagon's newest policy doesn't comply with the judge's order. "It continues to impose unconstitutional restrictions on the press," he said. "We will be going back to court."
Write to Alexandra Bruell at alexandra.bruell@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 23, 2026 20:47 ET (00:47 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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