Why a judge eviscerating the Pentagon rules for censoring and punishing journalists is a victory for the press

I dont hear any cheering out there.

A federal judge has thrown out the Pentagons draconian on what journalists can report, but most Americans dont care.

A policy that led to the eviction of major news organizations — from the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, to ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox News — . Its a big-time win for free speech.

But the medias credibility is at an all-time low, the result of years of bias, blunders and boneheadedness. Thats why theres no sign-waving in the streets or digital high-fiving outside those involved in the business. 

Just compare that with the tsunami of reaction to ABC canceling “The Bachelorette” over violent footage of its star.

Sure, many people may not know about the , given that its hard for civilians to follow the blizzard of court cases involving President Donald Trump. Its a challenge even for those of us who do this for a living.

But heres why ordinary folks should care.

If this , or a future Democratic administration, can routinely yank the credentials of correspondents who cover defense, then the official version of how great things are going will dominate the news.

And heres why they should especially care right now.

Were in the middle of a

In the lawsuit brought by the New York Times, Judge Paul Friedman in Washington said, “those who drafted the believed that the nations security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.” Its been that way, he said, for 250 years. 

A Pentagon spokesman said the department is appealing.

What news outlet, regardless of political persuasion, could agree not to solicit information that hasnt been officially approved for release by the Department of War?

Well, theres MyPillow guy Mike Lindell, who blew up his business to zealously support Trump. He regularly promotes conspiracy theories about how the 2020 election was stolen. His LindellTV is credentialed press at the Pentagon.

So is former Congressman Matt Gaetz, whose nomination as attorney general collapsed over accusations of paying an underage girl for sex. He now hosts a show on One America News.

So is Laura Loomer, the far-right activist and Trump confidante who has said a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo was a hoax perpetrated by the Democrats; suggested that the deep state used weather manipulation in 2024 to cause a blizzard before the Iowa caucus to benefit Nikki Haley; and, during that campaign, that ” is dying.”

So is James OKeefe, founder of the conservative group , which used undercover video to capture biased conduct and embarrassing comments by those in the mainstream media. He once pleaded guilty to entering a senators office under false pretenses, and was removed by his board in 2023, over allegations of financial improprieties.

Trump has long been engaged in legal and rhetorical combat against the media, especially in the last year. He has successfully sued CBS and ABC for settlements worth at least $16 million apiece. He has denounced journalists he views as unfair and major news outlets as corrupt. Trump has said some media outlets should be prosecuted for treason over their “lies” about the Iran conflict.

At the same time, Trump provides previously unthinkable levels of access, holding constant news conferences and gaggles, and repeatedly taking brief calls from reporters and anchors on his cellphone. 

At the Department of War, Secretary has also accused “dishonest” media outlets of deliberately playing up American casualties and other negative war news to make Trump look bad. 

But such criticism, even if its warranted, is a far cry from the secretarys move last October, giving his department sweeping power to classify reporters as “security risks” and Whats more, journalists, who regularly rely on unnamed sources, had to agree to seek information only from those