Pentagon policy limiting independent press access is unlawful, judge rules

""A primary purpose of the First Amendment is to enable the press to publish what it will and the public to read what it chooses, free of any official proscription.""

""Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation's security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.""

A federal judge ruled against parts of a press policy implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, stating it violated reporters' constitutional rights. The ruling is significant amid increased media scrutiny of the Defense Department due to conflicts in Iran and Venezuela. The judge voided provisions allowing the Pentagon to revoke press credentials based on reporting, while maintaining other aspects of the policy. The New York Times had challenged the policy, claiming it infringed on First Amendment rights and due process.

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