New York Times sues Pentagon over First Amendment rights

The New York Times says it plans to sue the Pentagon, arguing that the Defense Department infringed on the constitutional rights of its journalists by imposing a set of new restrictions on reporting about the military.

- ERIK WEMPLE

The Pentagon policy “is exactly the type of speech — and press-restrictive scheme that the Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit have recognised violates the First Amendment,” the company said in a summary of the filing. The lawsuit will be filed on Thursday in US District Court in Washington, The Times said.

The Pentagon rules, which went into effect in October, require reporters to sign a 21-page form that sets limits on journalistic activities, including requests for story and inquiries to sources. The new guidelines are a stark departure from the previous ones, in both length and scope.