A US federal judge has blocked the US Department of Defence's new press-access policy, which resulted in most major media outlets losing their accreditations.
The decision came after the New York Times challenged the policy last December.
The judge ruled that significant portions of the new accreditation rules violated several amendments to the US Constitution, including the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression.
In his ruling, the judge wrote that the authors of the First Amendment believed that national security depended on a free press and an informed public, and that government suppression of political speech endangered this security. This principle has safeguarded the security of the United States for almost 250 years and must not be abandoned now, he added.
The controversial policy introduced by the Defence Department in September required accredited journalists to seek explicit permission before soliciting or publishing certain information, whether classified or not. Non-compliance would result in the loss of accreditation, the administration warned.
Major news networks including CBS News, ABC News, CNN, NBC News, and even the conservative Fox News declined to accept the new policy. Fox News’s refusal was notable, given the Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s previous affiliation with the network.
Only journalists from the pro-government network One America News agreed to the terms, retaining their offices within the department.
Journalists from other outlets were forced to return their accreditations and vacate their offices within 24 hours of the policy’s enforcement.
The Trump administration has previously expressed dissatisfaction with traditional media, frequently accusing them of bias against the government.
