By Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 12-4-25
The New York Times sued the Defense Department over its press policy prohibiting journalists from soliciting any information not explicitly authorized for release by the government. In a complaint filed Thursday morning (Dec. 4) in federal district court in Washington, the Times alleged that the press rules violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of a free press and the newspaper’s due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.
“The policy is an attempt to exert control over reporting the government dislikes,” Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the Times, said in a statement. “The Times intends to vigorously defend against the violation of these rights, just as we have long done throughout administrations opposed to scrutiny and accountability.”
The Pentagon’s policy, which took effect in October and has been widely condemned by media organizations and press freedom groups, states that any reporter credentialed to cover the Pentagon in person must sign an agreement pledging not to solicit information – even unclassified material – that the government hasn’t expressly authorized for release. » Read More