The U.S. Department of Defense has designated the Pentagon Press Office as a classified area and banned journalists from entering the office to meet with public affairs officials, reversing the previous practice that allowed reporters to freely enter the open-plan workspace without escorts and directly question military public affairs personnel. Four informed sources said this change has taken effect in recent weeks. With Defense Department journalists still largely barred from entering the Pentagon and related media access rule litigation ongoing, this move could further restrict journalists' interview space should they ever regain access to the building in the future. Acting Pentagon press secretary Valdez stated that the press office was re-designated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) because staff from the Secretary's office have moved into the area; these personnel frequently handle classified materials and require access to the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet).
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866860237121546/
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