The New York Times (Pentagon press policy)

Date

Mar 20, 2026

Sector

Media

Response

Still litigating

Source

aljazeera.com ↗

Pressure applied

Pentagon press-credential policy; after the ruling, an interim policy closing the press corridor and requiring escorts

What was demanded

Accept limits on soliciting unauthorized information as a condition of holding credentials

What happened

The Times sued in December 2025. On 2026-03-20 Judge Paul Friedman held the policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments, calling it viewpoint discrimination, and ordered seven Times journalists' credentials restored. On 2026-04-09 he struck much of the replacement interim policy.

Where it stands

A second Times suit over the escort requirement won a temporary block in June 2026, but the D.C. Circuit let the escort policy be reinstated in July 2026 while the appeal is pending. Both cases are on appeal and the escort policy remains in effect.

Period

Second term