Judge appears skeptical of Pentagon’s latest press restrictions: ‘Is this a Catch-22?’; Politico, March 30, 2026

JOSH GERSTEIN , Politico; Judge appears skeptical of Pentagon’s latest press restrictions: ‘Is this a Catch-22?’

"A federal judge expressed skepticism Monday about the Pentagon’s new press access policy after invalidating an earlier version that prompted almost all holders of media credentials to turn them in.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman convened a hearing in response to complaints from The New York Times that the Pentagon is defying his earlier order to restore access by subsequently shutting down the decades-old Correspondents Corridor and giving journalists unescorted access only to a library at the margins of the complex."

After losing in court, the Pentagon moves to restrict press access again; CNN, March 23, 2026

 Brian Stelter, CNN; After losing in court, the Pentagon moves to restrict press access again

"Undeterred by a federal judge’s recent rebuke, the Pentagon has announced another set of restrictions on the press corps that regularly covers the US military.

The changes will further reduce day-to-day press access, ultimately eroding the public’s understanding of what the military is doing.

Under the new rules, announced Monday, the “Correspondents’ Corridor” inside the Pentagon building — where journalists have worked for decades — has been shut down. The Pentagon says replacement workspace will be set up at a faraway “annex” location at some point.

Some longtime Pentagon reporters immediately suggested that the changes were retaliatory, coming three days after The New York Times won a permanent injunction against an earlier set of Pentagon restrictions. In that order, senior US District Judge Paul Friedman said the Pentagon had violated the First Amendment."