NYT Sues Pentagon Over Journalist Credential Policy

The New York Times filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Pentagon, challenging a new policy that restricts journalists' access to the facility and alleging it violates the First Amendment's free speech protections and due process rights. The suit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell as defendants, alongside the reporter Julian E. Barnes as a co-plaintiff.

The policy, implemented in mid-October, requires journalists seeking Pentagon press credentials to agree that soliciting the disclosure of sensitive information from department employees, including some unclassified details, could result in their badges being revoked at the discretion of officials. According to the complaint, this gives Hegseth broad authority to suspend or ban reporters without clear standards, potentially for pursuing stories that officials disapprove of, even if the information is not classified. The Times argues that the rules hinder reporters' ability to ask questions of government employees and gather facts beyond official statements, ultimately limiting the public's access to information about...