Trump's USA The War on the Media

Judge blocks Pentagon's restrictions on the press

The US Department of Defense has lost a case over press restrictions against the New York Times after a judge ruled them unconstitutional, the newspaper reports.

In October, the Pentagon introduced a policy to strip journalists of their press credentials and classify them as "security risks" if they are perceived to threaten national security. This could include requesting information that the Pentagon has not decided to release, even if it is not classified.

A number of journalists chose to surrender their press credentials rather than sign on to the new policy. In the end, only a handful of reporters from Trump-friendly media outlets were accredited.

On Friday, Judge Paul L Friedman ruled that the Pentagon had violated the Constitution's First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of the press. He particularly emphasized the importance of diverse reporting during the Iran war.

Pentagon: We disagree and will appeal immediately

The Pentagon is appealing the ruling that found the New York Times right in the press freedom case. On Friday, federal judge Paul Friedman ruled that the Defense Headquarters must change its press rules.

"We disagree with the decision and are moving forward with an immediate appeal," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on X last night.

Before the turn of the year, the Pentagon forced journalists to sign a form about how journalistic activities would be conducted on their premises. Several reporters returned their accreditations in protest and since then the press corps consists mostly of conservative media that have approved the requirement, according to the AP.

In the ruling, Paul Friedman writes, among other things, that it is unclear which violations can lead to a journalist being kicked out.

"They make it impossible for journalists to know how to do their jobs without losing their accreditation," Friedman writes according to TT.