Pentagon to Swap Media Outlets in New Annual Rotation Program

On Friday, January 31st, the Pentagon announced a new “Annual Media Rotation Program” that will remove four major news organizations from their dedicated office spaces at the Department of Defense. Effective February 14th, 2025, the changes will bring in four other outlets.

The New York Times, NBC News, National Public Radio (NPR), and Politico are required to vacate their spaces. In their place, The New York Post, One America News Network (OANN), Breitbart News Network, and HuffPost will be given access to the coveted Pentagon workspaces traditionally reserved for high-profile media outlets.

According to the Pentagon’s memo, the rotation is intended to broaden access to the limited office space in the Pentagon’s “Correspondents’ Corridor” by offering the opportunity to media outlets without a physical presence. “Each year, one outlet from each press medium – print, online, television, and radio – that has enjoyed working from a physical office in the Pentagon will rotate out of the building to allow a new outlet from the same medium that has not had the unique opportunity to report as a resident member of the Pentagon Press Corps,” the memo stated.

While the outlets vacating the spaces will still have full access to Pentagon briefings and events, they will lose the ability to work from the building’s dedicated media offices. This decision has sparked criticism from some quarters, particularly from the Pentagon Press Association, representing Defense Department journalists. The association expressed concerns over the move, labeling it unprecedented and troubling.

An NBC spokesperson said, “We’re disappointed by the decision to deny us access to a broadcasting booth at the Pentagon that we’ve used for many decades. Despite the significant obstacles this presents to our ability to gather and report news in the national public interest, we will continue to report with the same integrity and rigor NBC News always has.”

The move has drawn attention due to the inclusion of media outlets known for their pro-Trump stance. One America News, Breitbart, and HuffPost represent a departure from the mainstream outlets traditionally granted space at the Pentagon. HuffPost, which has not previously had a Pentagon correspondent, is included in the rotation, leading to questions about the administration’s goals with the program.

Despite the controversy, Pentagon officials maintain that the rotation system is designed to ensure fair access for a broader range of media organizations. “The only change will be giving up their physical workspaces in the building to allow news outlets to have their turn to become Pentagon Press Corps resident members,” said Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot.

As the February 14th deadline approaches, media organizations and journalists closely monitor the potential implications for their coverage of the U.S. military and the Department of Defense.