US Judge Strikes Down Pentagon Press Rules That Stripped Major Media of Access

A US federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon’s controversial press‑access policy which resulted in major news outlets losing their credentials is unconstitutional. The decision, handed down Friday in Washington, came in response to a lawsuit filed by The New York Times and marks a significant victory for press‑freedom advocates.

The judge found that key elements of the policy violated both the First and Fifth Amendments, noting that restricting access to such an extent undermined the public’s right to information, especially during periods of active US military engagement. The ruling comes as the United States continues its joint bombing campaign with Israel against Iran, launched on February 28, and amid its recent intervention in Venezuela.

The Pentagon’s new rules, introduced in mid‑October, were rejected by numerous US and international media organisations including AFP, AP and Fox News leading to their credentials being revoked.

The court stressed that while national security remains essential, transparency is equally vital. “It is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing,” the ruling stated, adding that informed citizens must be able to “support, protest, and vote” based on full and open information.

The policy was the latest in a series of moves tightening media access to the Defense Department, the largest employer in the United States with a budget in the hundreds of billions. Earlier last year, the Pentagon ordered eight major outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC and NPR to vacate their long‑held office spaces inside the building, citing a need to make room for other, mostly conservative, organisations.

Journalists were also restricted to limited areas within the Pentagon unless accompanied by official escorts, another measure widely criticised as an attempt to curtail independent reporting.

The ruling is expected to force the Pentagon to revisit its access policies and could reshape how the media covers US military operations at a time of heightened global tension.