New York Times Sues Pentagon Over New Press Restrictions

The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday. The newspaper seeks to stop a new Pentagon policy that it says threatens press freedoms. The policy requires journalists to sign an agreement. By signing, reporters acknowledge they could lose their Pentagon press credentials for asking officials to disclose certain information. This includes classified data and other sensitive material the department designates. The lawsuit names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and argues the rules are too broad. The Times claims the policy illegally restricts journalists from doing routine newsgathering. It could punish reporters even for asking questions about public interest topics. This legal action is the latest challenge from a U.S. news organization seeking to protect access to government information. The Pentagon enacted the contested rules last month.