The Pentagon has adopted new limits for journalists following a court loss where a federal judge ruled that major parts of their current media policy were unconstitutional. The Defense Department is closing the workspace used by journalists for years and moving them to an annex outside the main building. All journalists seeking physical access will now require an escort.

The changes come after Judge Paul Friedman found that the Pentagon's policy rewarded reporters who only published favorable stories. The Pentagon plans to appeal while claiming their new policies comply with the ruling without conceding its validity. Last October, the Pentagon had adopted a policy allowing them to declare journalists "security risks" and revoke their passes.

The new rules replace "solicitation" with "intentional inducement of unauthorized disclosure" in the regulations journalists must sign. This continues Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's adversarial stance toward news media since taking over last year, representing an ongoing effort to control military reporting access.