United States: How Hegseth and the Pentagon tighten the screws on journalists

This new measure against the media aligns with a series of actions by President Donald Trump and senior officials against journalists and media accused of spreading false information (“fake news”) when their reports displease the administration.

An American federal judge on Friday blocked the Pentagon’s new policy limiting press access, which resulted in the withdrawal of credentials for most major media outlets.

The Pentagon responded by imposing even stricter restrictions, announcing on Monday that it would close a press area called the “correspondents’ corridor” and that “all journalist access to the Pentagon must be done under escort by authorized Defense Department personnel.”

Pentagon to Appeal

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell cited security risks to justify this change. He also indicated that the Pentagon would appeal the court’s decision.

“With immediate effect, the correspondents’ corridor is closed,” Parnell wrote on X. He specified that “a new workspace for the press will be created in an annex outside the main Pentagon building, but still on the Pentagon site.”

The National Press Club in Washington stated that this new policy limits journalists’ ability to do their work.

Most have already lost their access

“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 National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. in a statement.

Last fall, accredited media at the Pentagon were asked to comply with new stringent rules. Most refused and lost their access.

Previously, the Pentagon had required journalists to be escorted in the building outside of a limited number of areas, evicted some media from their permanent offices, and drastically reduced press conferences.