Restrictions on media access, "New York Times" prepares lawsuit against the Pentagon

The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense, challenging the Pentagon's new policy that limits journalists' access to the building.

The lawsuit will be filed in federal court in Washington DC and names as defendants the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and spokesman Sean Parnell.

According to the newspaper, the Pentagon has replaced the traditional process of signing regulations with the forced submission of press passes, leaving access at the mercy of political decisions. The Times states that this violates the constitutional rights of freedom of the press protected by the First and Fifth Amendments.

Times spokesman Charlie Stadtlander said the policy is "an attempt to control reporting that the government doesn't like."

The Pentagon argues the restrictions are related to national security, while criticism from the media community says Hegseth is trying to avoid critical coverage of the Trump administration. It comes at a time when hundreds of experienced journalists remain outside the Pentagon, while the administration has invited pro-Trump influencers and creatives to special conferences and orientations, calling them the “new press corps.”

Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesman said that journalists who refused the rules "chose to self-deport," while regular press conferences are being held only for the new group approved by the Pentagon.

The Pentagon Press Association has welcomed The Times' action, while numerous media outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax, have joined in opposing the restrictions.

The Journalists' Committee for Freedom of the Press called the policy "illegal," noting that it gives officials unlimited power to decide who reports from the Pentagon.

The Times is the first media outlet to sue, but it is expected that other newsrooms will join it with supporting documents in court.

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