US appeals court keeps in place Pentagon's escort policy for journalists

A federal appeals court sided with President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday in a case brought by The New York Times over the Pentagon's press access restrictions.



Press freedom advocates have criticized policy changes under the Trump administration that limited journalists' access to the Pentagon, saying they suppressed freedom of speech.



A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the Pentagon's policy requiring government escorts for journalists at the Pentagon could stand. It overturned a decision by a judge at a lower court.



"While The Times is disappointed with this interim decision, we appreciate that the court has expedited the appeal and look forward to litigating it on the merits," a spokesperson for the newspaper said in a statement.



The Justice Department welcomed Thursday's order.



The panel said that the Pentagon was "likely to succeed on their argument that this generally applicable escort requirement does not constitute a 'sufficiently adverse action to give rise to an actionable First Amendment (free speech) claim' of retaliation."