Judge Sides With New York Times Against Pentagon’s Press Restrictions

Senior US District Judge Paul L. Friedman ruled Friday that the Pentagon's October policy allowing it to revoke press credentials from reporters requesting unwanted information violated the First Amendment, siding with the New York Times in its December lawsuit. The Defense Department had established the policy after dozens of journalists, including seven Times reporters, turned in their badges in protest, and five major broadcast networks refused to comply. Judge Friedman found the policy rewarded commentators "willing to publish only stories that are favorable to or spoon-fed by department leadership" and ordered the DOD to restore the seven Times journalists' credentials. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department is pursuing an immediate appeal. The ruling comes as President Trump faces roughly a dozen separate legal battles with major media organizations, including the Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Washington Post.