Pentagon Designates Press Office as Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility

The US Department of Defence (Pentagon) has officially designated its press office as a restricted area on Monday local time. The new policy automatically renders the previously accessible journalist zone a prohibited area for media.

“Press Office Pentagon has been reclassified as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF),” stated Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez in an official release. Valdez added that the change was due to speechwriters handling classified materials working in the area, hence journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space.

This move extends a series of strict restrictions on journalists imposed by the Pentagon shortly after President Donald Trump returned to office last year. Previously, eight major media organisations, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and NPR, were forced to vacate their dedicated Pentagon workspaces, with the department citing the need to accommodate other media outlets, predominantly conservative-leaning.

Furthermore, the Pentagon required remaining journalists to sign restrictive new media policies to retain building access. However, several US outlets such as The New York Times and Fox News, alongside international agencies like AFP and Reuters, rejected the rules, resulting in revoked credentials.

The New York Times had previously challenged the policies in court. In March, a US judge ruled that certain aspects of the media policy violated the US Constitution. Nevertheless, the Pentagon responded with even stricter measures, closing the Correspondents’ Corridor and mandating that all journalists entering the building be accompanied by escorts, including those who had previously signed the media policies. (AFP/Z-2)

Media play a crucial role as the bridge between the public and those in power.

The right to be forgotten is stipulated under Article 26(3) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE), Thomas stated while participating in a fun walk with media and community members to mark World Press Freedom Day 2026 in Jakarta on Sunday (10/5).