New York Times Sues Pentagon Over New Reporting Restrictions – Live Updates on U.S. Politics

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New York Times Sues Pentagon Over New Reporting Restrictions

The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon on Thursday, alleging that the Department of Defense has violated the constitutional rights of its journalists through new reporting restrictions.

The restrictions, which took effect in October, require reporters to sign a pledge agreeing not to obtain unauthorized materials and limit access to specific areas unless accompanied by an official—an evident shift from previous protocols. The New York Times described this policy as “exactly the type of speech- and press-restrictive scheme that the Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit have recognized violates the First Amendment.”

The Guardian, Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, NPR, HuffPost, and Breaking Defense have also declined to sign the agreement.

In its lawsuit, The New York Times is requesting the U.S. District Court in Washington to issue an injunction to prevent the Pentagon from enforcing the new policy. The organization stated, “We intend to vigorously defend against the violation of these rights, just as we have throughout administrations opposed to scrutiny and accountability.”