The Pentagon said it is closing the Correspondents’ Corridor and shifting to escorted-only access for journalists after a federal court struck down key parts of its media access policy and ordered the immediate reinstatement of press credentials for The New York Times.
According to a statement posted by Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell, a U.S. District Court judge on March 20, 2026, vacated major security provisions in the Defense Department’s October 2025 media access policy. The statement said the court removed provisions allowing the department to screen press credential holders for security risks and to deny, revoke, or suspend credentials on security grounds.
Parnell said the department will comply with the court order but disagrees with the decision and is pursuing an appeal. He said he signed a revised Pentagon media policy that took effect immediately.
Under the revised policy, the Correspondents’ Corridor is closed effective immediately. The department said it determined that unescorted access inside the Pentagon could not be maintained after the court removed its authority to screen credential holders for security risks.
The statement said a new press workspace will be set up in an annex facility outside the Pentagon, but still on Pentagon grounds, and will be opened when it is ready.
The revised rules also require all journalists to be escorted by authorized department personnel while inside the Pentagon. Credential holders will still be allowed access for scheduled press briefings, press conferences, and interviews arranged through public affairs offices, Parnell said.
Parnell said the department remains committed to transparency and to working with credentialed journalists covering the Pentagon and the U.S. military, while also maintaining security and protecting those who work there.
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