The United States War Department has formally launched a newly appointed Pentagon Press Corps after three days of onboarding for a group of independent journalists and digital media figures, according to an official account published by THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
In its report, THE WAR DEPARTMENT states that nearly 20 War Department officials, both civilian and military, met at the Pentagon with more than two dozen members of the new Pentagon Press Corps during a series of more than 150 round-robin, one-on-one interviews. The event concluded a three-day process designed to bring the new press corps into the building, introduce them to War Department leadership, and familiarize them with department activities and procedures.
According to the department’s description, the new Pentagon Press Corps now includes more than 70 independent journalists, bloggers and social media influencers who entered the Pentagon for the first time this week to start reporting on the War Department. THE WAR DEPARTMENT states that most of these newly appointed members are not associated with legacy media outlets, such as traditional newspapers, magazines, or cable television news.
Pentagon leadership characterizes this group as “new media” and describes it as operating differently from traditional media. In the official account, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY KINGSLEY WILSON says department leaders believe this new corps is better equipped to inform a broader swath of the American public about what goes on inside the department. Wilson notes that media consumption has shifted away from mainstream outlets, pointing to the growth of cord-cutting and the increasing use of social platforms.
“We really have seen a shift in the way people consume media,” Wilson said, according to THE WAR DEPARTMENT. “It’s not always through the mainstream outlets anymore. A lot of people are cutting the cord, and they don’t have cable news subscriptions. And a lot of young people are increasingly using social media and following their favorite influencers on YouTube, X and Instagram. It’s important for us to reach them too, to let them know about all the incredible things our warfighters are doing.”
Wilson is quoted as saying that the independent outlets represented in the new Pentagon Press Corps are growing in influence and reach, and that the department wants to ensure its messages reach as many Americans as possible.
In its report, THE WAR DEPARTMENT also explains that the department has long hosted “resident” members of the press inside the Pentagon, with credentialed reporters holding badges that allow unescorted access to the building at any time of day and, in some cases, permanent desk space. The department confirms that this tradition continues under the new press corps, but notes that the group of credentialed reporters has changed.
According to the official account, Pentagon leadership in October asked existing members of the press corps to sign a new agreement. Wilson describes that agreement in the report as “common sense” and “very standard.” THE WAR DEPARTMENT states that most press corps members at the time chose not to sign the agreement and, as a result, lost access to the building. In their place, the department reports, is a new press corps that signed the agreement and will now carry the responsibility of learning what is happening within the War Department and reporting that information to the American people.
“We are excited to welcome people who were willing to sign the agreement here so we can continue that tradition of having resident media here in the building to hold us accountable and to help with our commitment to transparency,” Wilson said in the department’s account.
The onboarding process for the new Pentagon Press Corps began on December 1, when new members entered the building for the first time. THE WAR DEPARTMENT reports that these members were issued building passes and press passes, given a tour of the Pentagon, and, for those who will work from the building full time, shown their new office space.
The next day, December 2, the new press corps attended its first press briefing at the Pentagon. According to the department’s report, Wilson used that briefing to provide an update on War Department activities. Public affairs staff also presented an unclassified briefing on U.S. Southern Command and offered a primer on combatant commands to help orient the new reporters to the structure and missions of the U.S. military.
The War Department states that on December 3 the new press corps filled the Pentagon Briefing Room to meet with SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH. In reflecting on the questions asked during the December 2 briefing, Wilson is quoted as saying she believes this new press corps is well-suited to keep the American people informed about what the military is doing and to keep the department honest about its operations.
“I think great questions were asked yesterday in the briefing, a lot of tough questions; they definitely didn’t hold back,” Wilson said, according to the official War Department account. “We’re going to continue to make sure that we’re transparent with them, and I know in turn, they will hold us accountable. They absolutely have said as much to me many times, and I’m glad to hear it, because our job in government is to be transparent and to make sure that we’re keeping everybody up to date on all the incredible things that this department and our warfighters are doing across the world.”
All details in this report are drawn from the official narrative and quotations published by THE WAR DEPARTMENT regarding the launch and onboarding of the new Pentagon Press Corps.
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