US judge blocks Pentagon press escort rule in New York Times case

Washington DC [US], July 2: A US federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a Pentagon rule requiring journalists to be escorted by staff while moving through the Department of Defense, handing the New York Times a preliminary victory in its legal challenge.
The injunction will remain in place until a final ruling is issued. The judge cited the importance of a free press and an informed public, saying that principle must not be abandoned in the year marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell criticized the ruling.
Source: Qatar Tribune