WASHINGTON, June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement on the designation of the Pentagon press office as a "classified space," banning reporters from accessing it:

"Designating the Pentagon press office as 'classified space' is a remarkable and troubling escalation in the Defense Department's ongoing effort to restrict independent reporting.

The Department of Defense should immediately reverse this decision, restore meaningful access for credentialed journalists and reaffirm its commitment to transparency and the First Amendment. Congress and the courts should continue closely scrutinizing efforts that erode press freedom in the name of security.

This move does not occur in isolation. It follows a troubling pattern of escalating restrictions on Pentagon coverage, including efforts to limit journalists to pre-approved information, revoke credentials for routine reporting practices, and physically remove reporters from long-standing workspaces and access without an escort. Federal courts have already found key elements of these policies unconstitutional, with litigation ongoing.

Calling a press workspace 'classified' does not make the government more transparent. It creates yet another obstacle between journalists and the information Americans have a right to know, especially at a moment when the public needs clear, unfiltered information about the U.S. military.

Independent reporting on the U.S. military is not optional. When journalists are pushed farther from the institutions they cover, the American people are left with less information, less transparency, and less oversight. Any effort to restrict that access should alarm everyone who values a free and informed society."

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists and a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Beth Francesco, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, media@press.org

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SOURCE National Press Club