The New York Times filed a lawsuit Dec. 4 against the Department of War for allegedly infringing on reporters’ rights after officials imposed new rules governing media access at the Pentagon.
The Times argued the policy — implemented in October — violates the First and Fifth Amendments by forcing journalists to sign a 21-page agreement limiting their ability to gather and publish information without prior approval from department officials.
According to the suit, the policy “seeks to restrict journalists’ ability to do what journalists have always done — ask questions of government employees and gather information to report stories that take the public beyond official pronouncements.”
The complaint says the rules “will deprive the public of vital information about the United States military and its leadership.”
Under the new requirements, credentialed reporters must seek permission to move within the building, face limits on questioning Pentagon personnel, and agree not to report information officials have not pre-cleared, the Times said. The policy applies to both classified and unclassified material.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the policy in October, calling Pentagon access “a privilege, not a right.”
In October, the Times and dozens of other news outlets — including CBS, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, the Washington Times, Newsmax, and FOX News — surrendered their Pentagon press credentials rather than sign the agreement, as CatholicVote previously reported.
Following their departure, more than 60 journalists accepted the terms and were granted access, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced on X. He described them as the “next generation of the Pentagon press corps.”
“New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people,” he said in the post. “Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.”
The Hill reported that Human Events, The Post Millennial, The National Pulse, The Gateway Pundit, and LindellTV were among those who signed the agreement.
In addition to naming the War Department as a defendant, the suit also lists Hegseth and Parnell. The Times seeks a court order blocking enforcement of the policy and a declaration that the provisions are unlawful.
According to the Times, Parnell responded to the suit in a statement: “We are aware of the New York Times lawsuit and look forward to addressing these arguments in court.”