Overview

• Reporters are now barred from entering key Pentagon areas, including Defense Secretary Hegseth's office and Joint Staff spaces, without official escort or approval.
• New rules require journalists to sign confidentiality forms and use updated badges identifying them as press for continued access to the building.
• Hegseth defended the measures as necessary to protect classified information and prevent leaks that could endanger U.S. service members.
• The Pentagon Press Association condemned the restrictions as a significant attack on press freedom and transparency in military operations.
• The restrictions follow earlier actions under Hegseth, including evicting major news outlets from Pentagon workspaces and limiting press briefings to a single on-camera session this year.