New York Times sues over Pentagon press restrictions

The New York Times said yesterday that it was suing the US defence department and the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, after the Trump administration imposed restrictions on access privileges for the press and on source-based reporting at the Pentagon.

- Edward Helmore New York

Journalists assigned to cover the Pentagon were asked in October to agree to new rules telling them not to solicit information that had not been approved by Hegseth. The extra restrictions were also designed to limit their movements around the military command headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington DC. As a result, many leading outlets turned in their credentials in protest.

Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for the New York Times, said the decision was “an attempt to exert control over reporting the government dislikes” and that the Times intended “to vigorously defend against the violation of these rights”.