Pentagon revises rules for journalists after lawsuit loss, raising press group's ire

The Pentagon announced a new media policy Monday, three days after a federal judge ruled the Trump administration's previous journalist restrictions violated the First Amendment in a New York Times lawsuit. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Defense Department is "pursuing an appeal" while implementing three changes: closing the Correspondents Corridor, moving press operations to an off-site annex, and requiring all journalists to be escorted by authorized personnel to access the Pentagon building. The Pentagon Press Association immediately condemned the new rules as "a clear violation of the letter and spirit" of the court ruling and said it is consulting legal counsel. The National Press Club warned that escorted-only access and eliminating the corridor would "sharply limit" how journalists cover the military, reducing public oversight of "one of the most powerful institutions in government." The move mirrors a recent White House decision to remove AP from the briefing rotation after the outlet refused to change its style guide in response to Trump's Gulf of America executive order.