Right to know is above all! Judge overturns Pentagon's strict new rules on media
After six months, the law finally gave a ruling: The Pentagon has no authority to restrict journalists' access to information. Last year, the U.S. "War Department" implemented extremely strict new regulations on obtaining sources within the military and threatened to sue journalists who leaked classified information. Subsequently, almost all media, including top reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, expressed their protest by returning their Pentagon credentials.
According to a report by our French department's correspondent in Washington, Vincent Souriau, after The New York Times filed a lawsuit in December last year, the judge ruled that a large part of this certification regulation was "in violation" of the U.S. Constitution, especially the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech.
The right to know is above all
Federal Judge Paul Friedman pointed out that, considering the intervention in Venezuela and the war with Iran, this principle is more important than ever: the public must be able to access diverse information about the government.
In the judgment, the judge wrote that while national security and the safety of soldiers must be protected, press freedom is fundamental - it is the cornerstone for Americans to decide whether to support executive branch measures, to express demands through demonstrations, and to determine where to cast their votes in the next election.
"Transparency is the very purpose of the First Amendment"
Judge Friedman said, "We have experienced the Vietnam War, when people were surrounded by lies, we also experienced 9/11, the Iraq War, Guantánamo... Transparency is the very purpose of the First Amendment."
Therefore, the court ordered the Pentagon to allow the seven New York Times reporters stationed there to resume their previous working mode. Their lawyers welcomed the ruling, believing that it effectively shattered the department's attempt to hinder press freedom.
The Pentagon Press Association also issued a statement, calling it "a great day for press freedom," and expressed its anticipation to return to the Pentagon to explain to the public (including currently stationed soldiers in global conflict zones) why the Department of Defense is fighting and how it is fighting.
Context of the campaign against the media
These restrictive measures are part of a broader campaign against the media since Trump returned to the White House. As the largest employer in the United States, the Pentagon has an annual budget of billions of dollars.
Over the past few months, the Defense Department, which was renamed "War Department" by the Trump administration, has expelled eight media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, from its exclusive office areas in the Pentagon. In addition, the department has strictly limited journalists' activities within the Pentagon building, requiring them to be accompanied by专人 when they move outside the few designated areas.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1860310139632652/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.