NY Times vs Trump: Press Freedom Battle Intensifies

0:00On March 30, the New York Times is battling the Trump administration in federal court over Pentagon restrictions on journalists. A judge ruled this month that the new media access rules were unconstitutional and ordered the Times credentials restored. But the administration plans to appeal and hit back with even stricter limits. Earlier this week, the Pentagon shut down the main press area called the Correspondence Corridor and shifted reporters to a separate annex building. Now, every bit of journalist access requires an escort from authorized staff. Lawyers for the Times called out the moves as bad faith during a hearing before Judge Paul Friedman. They said the restored credentials ended up meaningless. The judge himself questioned the odd setup, wondering if it felt like a catch-22 or straight out of Kafka. Reporters describe hassles like no-foot access to the new spot and initial bans on using the Pentagon shuttle. Eventually, pass holders got shuttle permission, but the friction remains high. This stems from media outlets refusing to sign the Pentagon's new policy back in mid-October,

1:04costing them their credentials. The judge held off on any immediate decision after arguments from both sides. With the appeal looming and rules tightening, this press freedom fight shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon. You've been listening to US News today, AI-powered National Coverage.