Pentagon Closes On‑Site Media Offices After Court Defeat on Press Rules

The Defense Department said Monday it is immediately closing the long‑standing “Correspondents’ Corridor” office space used by Pentagon reporters and will eventually move journalists to an off‑site annex, days after a federal judge struck down key parts of its new press‑credential rules in a New York Times lawsuit. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said reporters will still be allowed into the building for press conferences and prearranged interviews but must now be escorted, and he offered no timetable for when the outside annex will open. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman had ordered the Pentagon to reinstate credentials for seven Times reporters and invalidated provisions that threatened to bar journalists who “solicit” classified or sensitive information, finding the policy aimed to weed out “disfavored journalists” and amounted to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. The New York Times and the Pentagon Press Association say Monday’s move violates both the letter and spirit of the ruling and vow to return to court, arguing the closure is an unconstitutional retaliation that further restricts press freedom at a time when the U.S. is at war with Iran and recently carried out an operation in Venezuela. The Pentagon says it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal, citing security concerns that many reporters argue are being used as a pretext to tighten political control over who covers the military from inside the building.