New York Times sues Pentagon over new media access limits

The New York Times has taken the US Defense Department to court, aiming to overturn new rules that restrict which journalists can work inside the Pentagon, a policy critics say hands the government sweeping control over who gets to report on the military.

Filed Thursday in federal court, the lawsuit argues that the rules introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violate First Amendment protections and due process by giving him broad authority to decide which reporters can be banned. Several outlets, including the Times, have already vacated their Pentagon workspaces rather than sign on to the new terms, leaving the building’s press corps dominated by media seen as friendlier to President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The policy is an attempt to exert control over reporting the government dislikes,” Times spokesperson Charles Stadtlander said in a statement.

The Pentagon has not yet commented.

Access has been a flashpoint since October, when legacy outlets lost their offices and switched to remote reporting. Despite the restrictions, journalists have continued to break stories from outside, including reporting on a double-tap strike on a boat in the Caribbean that experts say may raise legal concerns.

In its suit, the Times argues that denying credentials will “deprive the public of vital information about the United States military and its leadership.” The new rules say publishing or receiving sensitive information is generally protected speech, yet also warn that soliciting such information “may weigh in the consideration of whether you pose a security or safety risk,” wording the lawsuit claims could allow officials to block reporters based on the stories they pursue.

The Pentagon maintains that the changes are “common sense” measures to protect operational security. Press secretary Kingsley Wilson struck a combative tone this week, saying traditional outlets left of their own accord.

“The American people don’t trust these propagandists because they stopped telling the truth,” she said. “We’re not going to beg these old gatekeepers to come back.”

The Pentagon Press Association applauded the legal challenge, calling it a necessary stand for newsroom independence.

“The Defense Department’s attempt to limit how credentialed reporters gather the news and what information they may publish is antithetical to a free and independent press,” the group said.