WASHINGTON, March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff, Jr. issued the following statement after a federal judge ruled that key portions of a Trump administration policy restricting reporters' access to the Pentagon violate the Constitution:

"Today's ruling is a decisive rebuke of an unlawful effort to restrict press access and a clear victory for press freedom.

The court affirmed what should be beyond dispute: The government cannot pick and choose which journalists are allowed to cover it or deny access based on their reporting — a core First Amendment protection.

Independent reporting on the U.S. military is essential to public understanding and trust. Without access, the public cannot fully see, or hold accountable, what is done in its name.

This case was about whether access could be used to limit reporting. The court's answer was no.

A free press does not operate at the government's discretion. Today's decision reinforces that principle and affirms that transparency is not optional in a democracy."

Media contact: Beth Francesco, executive director for the National Press Club Journalism Institute, media@press.org

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SOURCE National Press Club