Federal judge rules against restrictive Pentagon press policy

The policy sought to bar news outlets from reporting information not officially sanctioned for release by agency heads.

A federal judge on March 20 blocked the Pentagon’s press policy that sought to bar news outlets from reporting information not officially sanctioned for release by agency heads.

The policy put forth in October 2025 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aimed to limit reporters’ coverage of the Pentagon to official statements. Journalists seeking information outside official government channels would be deemed security risks and have their press credentials revoked, according to the policy. The White House argued the policy was in the interest of national security.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in his ruling acknowledged the importance of protecting American troops and war plans but said it was "more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing" given President Donald Trump's recent "incursion" into Venezuela and war with Iran.

Friedman's ruling on Friday comes in response to a lawsuit brought by The New York Times. The lawsuit said Hegseth’s policy violated free speech and due process protections under the Constitution.

The ruling out of federal court in Washington, D.C., comes after a March 6 hearing in which Friedman “looked skeptically” at the policy, particularly in light of the United States’ war in Iran, according to CNN.