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US judge rules restrictive Pentagon press access unconstitutional

A US federal judge on Friday ruled as unconstitutional a Pentagon press access policy that withdrew accreditations from a host of prominent media organisations.
Elements of…

By Samantha Johnson / March 20, 2026

A US federal judge on Friday ruled as unconstitutional a Pentagon press access policy that withdrew accreditations from a host of prominent media organisations.

Elements of the policy are “unlawful because they violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution”, a judge in Washington said in response to a lawsuit brought by The New York Times.

US media and a host of international news outlets including Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and Fox News declined to sign the new policy in mid-October, resulting in the stripping of their Pentagon credentials.

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The ruling comes amid the ongoing US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran that began on February 28.

The court said that while national security must be protected, it was vital for the public to have information in light of the US war with Iran and its recent intervention in Venezuela.

Members of the Pentagon press corps leave with their belongings after turning in their press credentials in Washington in October 2025. Photo: AP
Members of the Pentagon press corps leave with their belongings after turning in their press credentials in Washington in October 2025. Photo: AP

“It is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing – so that the public can support government policies, if it wants to support them; protest, if it wants to protest,” the ruling said.

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