NYT Seeks to Block Pentagon Press Access Policy in Hearing

In a federal courtroom in Washington, a New York Times attorney urged a judge on Friday to block a Pentagon policy that restricts journalists' access to the building, arguing it denies the public essential information about U.S. military operations amid ongoing conflicts. The hearing marked the first step in the newspaper's lawsuit against the Defense Department, with U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman expressing skepticism toward the government's defense of the rules.

The policy, implemented last October, requires credentialed journalists to agree not to report any information obtained inside the Pentagon that has not been approved for public release by department officials, even if it is unclassified. News organizations faced a deadline of October 14 to sign the agreement or surrender their badges. Several major outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Reuters, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Newsmax, The Washington Times, and the five major broadcast networks, declined to comply and vacated the premises.

The New York Times filed its lawsuit in December against the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, contending the...