Pentagon spokesperson: Ruling on reporter access restores ‘risky environment’

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The Pentagon will appeal a decision from a federal judge to temporarily remove a requirement for all journalists visiting the military complex to be accompanied by an official escort, according to Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell.

Parnell said in a Tuesday statement shared on social media that the Department of Defense (DOD) “strongly disagrees” with federal Judge Paul L. Friedman’s order to lift the requirement for The New York Times’s reporters during the outlet’s lawsuit to overturn the rule.

“This ruling strips away reasonable security measures and will make it easier for sensitive and classified information to reach our adversaries,” Parnell wrote.

“Unescorted access to the Pentagon allowed journalists to observe activity patterns and develop relationships that contributed to repeated unauthorized disclosures of operational plans and intelligence,” he continued. “The court’s order effectively restores that risky environment at a time when protecting our military’s secrets is more critical than ever.”

Parnell said DOD plans to appeal Friedman’s decision to restore its “ability to secure the Pentagon Reservation and prevent further harm to national security.”

The Times commended the court’s order in a statement shared by the newsroom’s executive director of media relations and communications, Charlie Stadtlander.

“This well-reasoned decision reaffirms the First Amendment rights of the press to cover the Pentagon without restrictions designed to prevent the public from knowing what the military is doing,” Stadtlander wrote. “The court recognized that the Pentagon’s hastily implemented new policy was a clear violation of the Constitution.”

This is the latest development in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to limit press access inside of the military complex.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon designated its public affairs office as a classified space and barred reporters from accessing the area. Acting department press secretary Joel Valdez said this decision was made to ensure secrecy for speechwriters from Hegseth’s office.

Reporters have long had access to the Pentagon’s public spaces and have been able to attend briefings by department officials. Hundreds of reporters turned in their press passes last October after they refused to sign a new press policy, which stipulated that they would not solicit any unauthorized information.

Hegseth and Pentagon officials have defended these changes, saying they will help prevent the leak of classified information to foreign adversaries. However, press freedom groups say the policies are a violation of the reporters’ First Amendment rights.

Updated at 11:15 a.m.

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