Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- A federal judge ruled that the Pentagon’s restrictions on news outlets violate the First Amendment, striking down parts of the department’s policy and ordering the restoration of press passes for seven New York Times journalists.
- The policy, implemented in October, allowed the Pentagon to label journalists as “security risks” and revoke their press credentials for conduct deemed threatening to national security, prompting many journalists to surrender their passes.
- Judge Paul Friedman criticized the policy’s limitations on journalists’ rights to ask questions and gather news, emphasizing that the First Amendment protects such activities.
- The New York Times hailed the ruling as a reaffirmation of the media’s right to hold the government accountable, while the Justice Department has yet to comment and may consider appealing or revising
