Pentagon bars journalists from its press office after designating it a ‘classified space’
The Pentagon on Monday broke a long-standing practice by barring journalists from its press office after raising the space’s security status.
Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez said in a statement to MS NOW that the Pentagon Press Office has now been designated as a “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility” since speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War will be using the facility.
“These speechwriters routinely handle classified material and require SIPRNet access. As a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space,” Valdez said in the statement.
SIPRNet, or the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, is a highly secure, classified version of the internet used by the Defense and State Departments.
Valdez said journalists seeking access to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and the press secretary’s office must now schedule an appointment.
Journalists have historically been allowed to access public areas in the Defense Department to attend briefings and speak with sources, according to The Washington Post, which was first to report the press office change.
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Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
