• A federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon must restore press access for credentialed journalists.
• The judge criticized the Pentagon for attempting to circumvent a court order regarding press restrictions.
• The ruling addresses violations of First and Fifth Amendment rights concerning press freedom.
• The Pentagon's revised policies are deemed unlawful and inadequate by the court.
• The New York Times led the lawsuit against the Pentagon’s restrictions on press access.

A U.S. judge has mandated that the Pentagon restore access to credentialed journalists, stating that the Defense Department has been hampering reporters in defiance of a court order. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman emphasized that the Pentagon must comply with his previous ruling, which supported The New York Times and other media organizations challenging the imposed restrictions, describing the Pentagon's actions as a “blatant attempt to circumvent a lawful order of the Court,” according to Reuters, CBS News, and SCMP.

The Pentagon issued a new press policy that not only failed to comply with the court's prior ruling but also introduced stricter measures that further restricted journalistic access. Judge Friedman critiqued this revised policy, which expelled reporters from the Pentagon if they did not have government escorts and effectively eliminated office spaces allocated for media outlets, further curbing press access. He declared, "The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking 'new' action and expect the Court to look the other way,” highlighting serious concerns regarding the Pentagon's compliance with the law, according to Reuters, CBS News, and SCMP.