Federal judge rules Pentagon’s new press access policy is unlawful

We know first of all that this decision means a lot to us, reporters and every journalist and media organizations everywhere. It’s validation, it’s vindication, it’s support, and it’s a reminder that we live in dark times. Just yesterday CBS News, after 99 years of being a stellar source of information for people around the world, especially here in the U.S., is going to shutter its radio division, a key component of information. Not recent, not too long ago, our hometown newspaper, The Washington Post, had one-third of the staff slashed, and this is a reminder that the times we live in are very important and significant, because I wrote a book not too long ago called “The Noise of War: How to Fight Disinformation and Find Truth When Everything is Lying to You.” These are key components, these journalists, most of whom are much better than much more talented than I am, and these outlets like CBS and the Washington Post and newspapers are very instrumental in helping people wade through disinformation and find it. Because disinformation is not just about fire hosing lies at the public. It’s also about taking away resources that can help people wade through this. So, this means a lot, and what it means, though, as well, is that it’s likely going to go to the next level, and we will have to see what decision the Pentagon and others decide to make on this.

It’s important to note that these folks who were kicked out of the Pentagon, we’ve never stopped coverage. The thing is, we just haven’t had to go and scan a badge to get into the Pentagon to do it. Being outside of the Pentagon didn’t mean we couldn’t cover it. Just because we’re out, not inside, doesn’t mean we stopped those people, you know, people like Phil Stewart, Reuters, Jennifer Griffin of Fox News, Aaron Mehta, AP, Louis Martinez, ABC, and all of the people, all of the journalists all over the place that have been covering the Pentagon for years and decades are still doing the same thing. Nobody is out of a job. Nobody has turned in their commitment. We’re still continuing to do it. So that pressure that was there from Day One is going to continue. And it’s not pressure on the administration, it’s just pressure to have access so that we can cover objectively what it is that’s going on with this war and any other decisions that the Pentagon and the Secretary of Defense staff decide to make.

Tomorrow is going to be another day, a different day, but they’re going to be some of the same things taking place in this war with Iran, same things taking place in us, national security, the same needs, the same threats are going to be out there. Tomorrow. You’re going to have the same people continuing to fight, to get information, to continue, continue to push to make sure that information is true, to make sure that people know where to go and how to work their way through things.

It’s going to be another day. And I’m not trying to simplify this too much. I’m just trying to say this is a major development, but it’s not going to change the commitment of these journalists. More importantly, it’s not going to change the commitment of the American people who want to know the truth about what’s going on, not just with the Pentagon, but with any news story anywhere that affects the U.S., especially right now during this war, which is such a big, huge weight on the shoulders of the American people, when you listen to what Iran says it’s going to do in terms of trying to launch retaliatory strikes. So, you’re going to have that same commitment every day, every hour, every minute, everywhere.